Detective, Detective
by 6Nana9
Summary: Apparently the crime scene of a murder is the perfect starting point for two teens to get to know each other. (akakudo; female shinichi; i just rly like this pairing yknow; the title is random idk what to put)
1. Boy meets girl(?)

**_yeah i couldnt resist doing another akakudo w_**

 ** _Disclaimer: everything belongs to their rightful owners._**

* * *

Classical music played across the large ballroom, the music leaking out into the hallways through the open doors of the said ballroom. Chatters from the guests filled the room, although they were hardly filled with joy, nervous remarks exchanged with the person beside them as their faces lost all their colour. The housekeepers rushed around, some requesting the guests to stay calm, others trying to preserve the scene which was the centre of attention.

Crimson painted the expensive marble floor of the washroom while a man laid immobile on his back in the middle of the cold flooring, lifeless eyes wide open as they stared into nowhere. His similarly expensive suit was stained with red, the wound on his chest being the source of the liquid. A smell with a hint of iron drifted around in the washroom where only still air was present, causing some of the guests who peeked from the door to gag.

He hadn't expected to run in with such a sight – something he thought would only happen in mysteries. Something he thought would happen to others rather than to him. But he didn't mind; an occasional thrill and suspense would be a nice change of pace from his considerably mundane life.

In mysteries, there would be a victim, a culprit, and a detective.

The victim was there – Ishikawa Minato, the chairman of the Ishikawa group. The culprit was, of course, gone, perhaps blended somewhere in the crowd. And the detective, well, was not who he'd expected it to be.

With a hand covering her nose, a young female crouched closer towards the body, careful to not stain the hem of her dress as her calculative eyes studied what was in front of her before proceeding to take pictures of the crime scene. Her chestnut hair was tied messily into a ponytail as she was in a hurry to start investigating the scene before the police arrived. He was sure she expected the police to not give her the green light to investigate, which was why she wasted no time in sniffing around the crime scene.

It wasn't much of the gender that was unexpected for him, but more of her age.

She was just a year older than him – by the name Kudo Shin'na – and had come to Kyoto from Tokyo in place of her father, who was originally invited to the party hosted by the victim. Her father was a famous mystery novelist – she had told him when they got acquainted during the party – named Kudo Yusaku. He had heard the name before and was surprised that he had sent his daughter, instead of his former-celebrity wife. She told him that her mother was with him in Los Angles, thus only she could come instead since she was in the country unlike her.

He watched as the female examined the body, the careful steps she took around the scene taken note by him. He remembered how her eyes turned serious before she dashed out of the ballroom they were in once they heard a scream, as if it was an instinctive response, a normal occurrence for her. She seemed used to such things, and he wondered how could a high school student stay unaffected in such a gruesome environment.

"excuse me..."

A hesitant maid peeked from the washroom door to address the female. The maid informed the female about the police that would take around 10 minutes for arrival. The female nodded and told her to gather the guests in the ballroom, to not let anyone leave, and to say that it was a direct request from the police.

He watched as she continued to take lead in the situation and found himself intrigued by the expression on her face that suggested she was enjoying the mystery at hand.

"You seem rather familiar with these kind of situations, Kudo-san."

He could help but blurt out what he had been thinking. His voice clearly broke her concentration from the scene and prompted her to send a rather displeased gaze towards him. He smiled, amused, and continued his words, allowing his smooth voice to echo across the washroom.

"It is hard to think that you are just the daughter of a famous mystery novelist."

"You'd be surprised," she had rolled her eyes before a smirk curled upon her lips. "but yeah, I'm not _just_ the daughter of a famous mystery novelist."

Her way of speech – laced with a tinge of boyishness – was the complete opposite of the polite, soft-spoken tone he used towards her. Given the senior position the female held against him, the politeness was expected. Although just acquainted, the older female immediately decided to discard the honorifics she had used to address him at first while he maintained them.

"Do you know the victim, Akashi?"

"Yes," he nodded after a pause. "Ishikawa Masato. The chairman of the Ishikawa Group and tonight's host. He runs multiple businesses that have partnerships with my father's. He was quite a pleasing man, I am rather surprised someone would want to kill him."

"That's how things are." Kudo uttered as-a-matter-of-factly, shifting her weight onto one leg as she crossed her arms. "Does he have any known enemies? Business rivals or an angry lover, perhaps?"

"Not that I know of." Akashi shook his head. "However, rather than a lover, he does have a wife."

"Is she at the party?"

"Of course."

"What about family, does he have any others that are here?"

"His younger brother is present. He lives in this mansion with Ishikawa-san and his wife. His secretary is present as well."

"His secretary?"

"Ishikawa-san asks her to come to every party. It is very usual for him."

She nodded and seemed to think for a while before returning her gaze to him. The look of her cobalt eyes had changed compared to when they were getting acquainted. There was less friendliness and seemed more stern, thoughtful, perhaps. He found himself drawn into the analytic nature of her eyes, the curiousity reflected in them as she looked up to him. It was entrancing.

"Help me point them out later."

* * *

The inspector in charge had shooed her off the crime scene upon arrival thus leaving Kudo with no choice but to retreat to the corner of the wall where Akashi was positioned at, a smile on his face while he tried to suppress the amusement that was dying to show. With a huff, the girl let her back lean against the wall as her arms moved to cross themselves over her chest. As if the frown on her face wasn't enough, her eyes narrowed themselves as they stared at the middle-aged inspector who trudged off to start questioning the guests.

"So, Ms. Detective," he started. "What do you plan to do now?"

He only smiled at the dry look she offered him and watched as she straightened her posture to place a hand on her hip. There was a show of authority in her body language, one that he didn't mind due to the factor of age.

"Isn't it obvious?" A smirk curled on her lips and she directed it towards the male. "We solve the case."

"We?"

He blinked, puzzled at her inclusion of him.

"Of course." A nod. "You'll come in handy when talking to the guests."

"I am just a tool then?"

The word felt amusing as it rolled of his tongue, surprised that he'd use it to address himself instead of someone else. He wouldn't hold himself as someone to be used but from the way she worded it, that was the only conclusion he could come to. However, Kudo provided another interpretation of her words instantly. An eyebrow was raised at his question before she shook her head, chin lifted to present her case.

"A partner, I mean. A partner. You know, like Holmes and Watson."

"Holmes, you say?"

There was a glint in her eyes as she mentioned Holmes' name which could only indicate admiration, idolization. The idea of mimicking the dynamics of Holmes and Watson probably sounded as euphoric to her as it was to him.

Getting involved in murder cases wasn't really something Akashi would do for a hobby, but he was curious. He felt like staying with his senior for a little more longer. She was interesting, unlike the people – females in particular – he meets in his daily life as a young heir (most probably it was the utter lack of femininity from the other, but Akashi would rather conclude it was the peculiar fascination for murder cases). He felt like seeing through her whole detective game, to see if she was as good as a detective she portrayed herself to be.

"Exactly."

There was a tune at the end of her word before she trotted off, sending a glance towards the male as a sign for him to follow along. As he trailed behind her, Akashi put up his own theory to what had occurred in the high-classed washroom: The killer – who held a personal grudge against the victim – stabbed Mr. Ishikawa's in the chest and left him to bleed to death while they escaped from the manor, bringing the murder weapon along therefore explaining the absence of it. The killer would be someone from the guest list who is not in the ballroom anymore.

Well, who it was he wouldn't know.

* * *

The gazes given to them were unwelcoming, given the fact that the three who Kudo narrowed down as main suspects couldn't recognize Kudo and while they could recognize Akashi, they didn't seem obliged to send them warm greetings. The woman who stood tall and confident in her beautiful, extravagant dress was the wife – Ishikawa Yuiko. The woman beside the wife, who held her head just as modestly as her dress, was the secretary – Tanabe Miwa – and the meek looking man in his early forties was the younger brother of the chairman, as well as the director of the Ishikawa group – Ishikawa Hiroshi.

"I'm sorry for your loss, ma'am." The female uttered upon approaching, throwing a sympathetic look Akashi recognized to be a look of pretense.

"Don't be," a scoff. "That man deserved it."

"I'm sorry?"

"Forget it. Who are you anyway?"

It was apparent that Yuiko was looking down on her – in figurative and literal sense, considering the two and a half inch stilettoes she wore on her feet. Her chin was held high, displaying her superiority over the brunette. Akashi could see that Kudo disliked dealing with people like Yuiko, but she kept her calm and proceeded to introduce herself.

"I'm a detective, Yuiko-san. The inspector asked me to help around."

She was lying through her teeth, but it seemed that other than Akashi who knew what was going on, the three 'suspects' couldn't see through it which made Akashi wonder about the amount of practice she must have gotten to become such an expert (or if it was just natural talent.)

"What would you like to know?"

Hiroshi spoke up from beside his sister-in-law, voice confident, unlike what the two teens expected from him. Although he was comparatively more submissive compared to his sister-in-law, it could be seen from the way he maintained his good posture, the way he maintained eye contact with her and the way he held his chin up as he spoke that he was actually an assured man.

"I'd like to know how your relationship is with the chairman and whether anything comes to mind regarding the incident, a person who would want the chairman dead, perhaps?"

"That's unthinkable!" Hiroshi exclaimed. "Everyone loved my brother. No one would want him dead."

"Oh please, Hiroshi. Spare us the fake sentiment." Yuiko said, rolling her eyes. " _Obviously_ there are people who would want my husband dead. You are looking at one already."

Her perfectly manicured hands were gesturing towards Hiroshi, who could only shoot a look at disbelief at his sister-in-law. Kudo raised an eyebrow at this, not even trying to hide her curiousity regarding the matter. Yuiko read the expression Kudo displayed and decided to continue her finger pointing at Hiroshi.

"Hiroshi was supposed to be promoted to vice chairman last month. However, Masato appointed another employee as the vice chairman instead, although Hiroshi was more excellent in his work."

"That must have been frustrating."

Akashi uttered, cocking his head slightly to the side in interest. It seemed like a probable motive for him. Kudo seemed to have come to the same conclusion, studying Hiroshi who bit his under lip before nodding solemnly.

"It was," he admitted. "However, I already sorted things out with my brother! He promised to promote me next year, to chairman instead. Why would I kill him when he gave me that promise?"

"Chairman?" Kudo questioned. "Was Ishikawa-san planning to retire?"

It seemed that Yuiko had the same question in mind, shooting a suspicious glare at her brother-in-law while maintaining her superior posture. From what he could see, Akashi deduced that neither Yuiko nor the secretary, Tanabe, knew about the topic and were thrown off by the unexpected news.

"Yes, that's what he told me." The man uttered. "He said he was tired of the trade business and planned on opening a new business under a new group focussing on an entirely different sector, so he wanted me to take over the Ishikawa group."

"That's absurd, I haven't heard about it at all!"

Yuiko was clearly unpleased, raising her voice just enough to emphasize how she felt. Tanabe, on the other hand, look dejected, as if blaming herself for not knowing her boss' plans. She sighed and moved further away from the family. Kudo narrowed her eyes at the secretary, having a gut feeling that she was hiding something herself, though she wasn't sure what.

"He didn't plan on telling anyone yet. Although..."

Hiroshi glanced at Akashi, fidgeting slightly as he contemplated whether or not to continue his words. Akashi raised an eyebrow and sent a look that prompted Hiroshi to speak up.

"I assume Akashi-san knew about it. He's my brother's closest partner after all..."

Kudo had removed her eyes from Tanabe and slid their gaze over to Akashi, getting more and more interested as the plot progressed. She asked him whether what Hiroshi was saying had any truth in it, in which he nodded to confirm.

"My father did mention about Ishikawa-san seeking advice on starting a new group which would target a different sector. However—"

"What the hell are you brats doing?"

The loud voice of the inspector interrupted Akashi at the last second and Kudo almost threw her hands up in frustration. As he walked over to them, Akashi could literally feel the anger oozing out from the inspector who was already prepared to yell about interfering with the investigation. Kudo positioned herself to make a run for it, however seemed to decide against her decision at the last minute.

"I told you not to interfere with police work, didn't I!?"

The inspector started lecturing Kudo about the interference and it was obvious that she was hardly listening. Her mind seemed more preoccupied with finding a way to continue investigating the case. She tried to argue with the inspector that what she was doing was in fact not interfering with the investigation but instead helping it progress. However, the inspector wouldn't listen and continued lecturing her. She looked like she was going to strangle herself if the lecture went any further, so Akashi decided to lend her a hand.

"Excuse me, inspector."

The inspector responded with a scowl as he turned to face him, unpleased that a mere teen decided to interrupt him.

"What do you want, brat?"

Akashi wasn't offended with the inspector's tone of voice. Rather, he held a calm gaze as he put himself between Kudo and the inspector, offering a smile as he did so. It wasn't a gentle nor a friendly smile though. It was more scheming, holding malice from every inch of his features. The inspector seemed taken aback by this as he straightened his slouch to a certain degree, looking directly into Akashi's mismatched eyes.

"I do not appreciate the tone of voice you are using to speak to my acquaintance," he uttered, pausing before the word 'acquaintance'. "I suggest that you apologize to her immediately, before I decide to speak to your superiors about this."

The inspector only responded with a click of the tongue before ordering them to not interfere with the investigation and returning to his detective's side to continue questioning guests. Kudo breathed out a sigh and thanked Akashi as she glanced over to the three suspects, hoping that the small interruption wouldn't affect their willingness to answer her questions. But alas, it did. Especially for Yuiko, who waved a hand in dismissal as she strutted off with Hiroshi and Tanabe trailing obediently behind her.

Kudo groaned and crossed her arms over her chest, sending unamused glares at the inspector for ruining her questioning session. Akashi chuckled to himself, finding her frustration a tad too amusing.

"It seems that you are in a pinch, Kudo-san." He said, stating the obvious.

Kudo rolled her eyes, "Unfortunately. Although, I have an idea of where the murder weapon is."

He raised an eyebrow in curiousity. There were hardly any pointers to what happened to the murder weapon. What made her certain that she knew?

"Pray tell."

She gave a brief but convincing theory on what the weapon may be and how it could have been disposed after the killing, leaving no trace whatsoever of it at the crime scene or on the killer themselves. She included a summary of the disposal method and Akashi nodded at her explanation, rather impressed at the theory she had built from only whatever there was at the crime scene.

"However, that would mean you have no evidence to tie the killer to the killing."

"Exactly," she sighed. "I can build up a theory easily but if there is no evidence to support it, I can't prove who the killer is. Plus, I still don't have all the facts regarding the relationships the chairman has with the three we were questioning just now."

She seemed distressed, Akashi noted as he observed her ruffle the fine strands of her bangs with a frown and a sigh. Was not being able to solve a case that dooming for her?

"Oh," she blurted as if she had just remembered something. "What were you going to say about Hiroshi-san's testimony? The one the inspector interrupted."

"Ah, that." Akashi acknowledged. "I was about to say that, although my father mentioned that Ishikawa-san was seeking advice on starting a new group, he mentioned nothing about him retiring from his position in the current group and Hiroshi-san becoming the new chairman."

"So, Hiroshi-san could be lying..." she muttered. "What about Tanabe-san, the secretary?"

"Tanabe-san?"

"Have you heard anything about her and the chairman?" she elaborated. "Anything at all."

"No, unfortunately."

Another exasperated sigh.

"I guess I could try Hiroshi-san again... He might be considerate enough to cooperate."

"If you'd like," Akashi offered, feeling a little sorry for her. "I could try asking Yuiko-san and Tanabe-san for you. They could be more willing to talk if it is me asking."

Kudo accepted his offer after some thought, agreeing that rather than a completely stranger, they would prefer to be questioned by someone who held the same social status as them. After being drilled on main points he should ask – to which he reluctantly listened to – Akashi went off to find the two women, while Kudo went to look for Hiroshi.

* * *

Akashi left after thanking the two females for their time to regroup with Kudo. Both of them had an alibi so he personally concluded that they were not the killer the police and Kudo were looking for.

As he walked through the ballroom, he found himself fiddling on his phone, searching up the name 'Kudo Shin'na'. There were multiple articles on her, about how she solved numerous cases in Tokyo, about how she was called the 'Saviour of the Japanese Police', and about how she was the ace of her middle school's football team until she missed the penalty goal for one of the matches, which cost them the match and officially marked the end of her football career.

He wondered, what had made her decide to pursue the path of becoming a detective. Was it something she decided to pursue as a distraction from her failed football career? Or was it something she decided from the start? Curiousity bubbled inside him and he wondered if he could hold it in. A detective wasn't something he ran into every day and he wanted to know more. It was unlike him to be this intrigued by a person and he wondered why. Was it because of the apparent contrast between who she was and who he was?

She was like fire, passionate and driven towards her goal of mystery solving while he was like ice, numb from the joys of victory and merely obeying his father's words. Although they could speak on the same level, they were complete opposites.

A hand on his arm snapped him out of his thoughts and beside him was Kudo, an expectant look etched upon her features. She seemed to be in a better mood than before, the reason being the fact that she had cornered the detective that was with the inspector before regrouping and had managed to pry out information regarding the questioning of other guests from him. How she did it, Akashi would rather not know. Although so, it was evident that she was still unpleased at the lack of evidence for a confession.

"Hiroshi-san doesn't have an alibi during the estimated time of death; 9:00pm to 10:00pm." She started to brief him. "He went out to the balcony for a smoke at 8:55pm. There are guests who confirmed that he left the ballroom at that time, but no one could corroborate his testimony of being at the balcony. He also mentioned that Ishikawa-san and Yuiko-san would fight from time to time – though it wasn't serious – and that Tanabe-san might be having an affair with Ishikawa-san. If Yuiko-san had found out about the affair, she might have killed her husband..."

It had become mumbling towards the end that Akashi had to call out her name a few times to bring her back to reality. She blinked and uttered and apology before a smile broke onto her features as she looked directly up to him.

"So, how did it go with the wife and secretary? What did they tell you?"

She was practically brimming with anticipation that he couldn't help but smile. Akashi gave her a very detailed summary of what the two women had told him – about their alibi, about Tanabe's short-lived affair with Ishikawa and about the rocky relationship between the two brothers caused by Ishikawa's constant demeaning of Hiroshi – and she bit her under lip in thought. It seemed that she had reached a verdict, but the absence of physical evidence was troubling as without it, there was only circumstantial evidence fuelled by personal perceptions of those involved.

"It's right there and yet..."

"Can't you ask to test for a luminol reaction?"

There must have been some blood spatter on the killer's clothes when he sliced Ishikawa's throat thus a simple luminol test would reveal any traces of blood on the killer's clothing although the blood has been washed away.

"He could have changed his clothes. It's his home after all."

She sighed, then perked up shortly after, her expression indicating that she had become aware of a possible solution. Her eyes darted around the ballroom and she rushed off towards one of the maids when she caught sight of her. Akashi was thrown off guard by the abrupt movement from the female and could only watch as she bolted out the ballroom after she inquired something from the maid.

Akashi chose not to chase after her, deciding to wait until she returned to the ballroom with hopefully a conclusion to the mystery at hand.

* * *

She had returned to the ballroom with a smirk on her face that could only mean that she had gotten what she needed. She made her way down the ballroom, approaching the cranky inspector who was talking to Yuiko, Tanabe and Hiroshi right by her with a piece of cloth held tightly in her hand that was laced with a handkerchief.

"I know who the killer is."

Akashi watched as she presented her reasoning, a flawless act presented step-by-step with confidence, and only confidence. The protests from the inspector eventually died out as he was drawn into the scenario she was depicting for them. She revealed how the murder weapon had vanished from the scene, explaining that the killer used the blade of a cutter knife with tissue paper wrapped thickly around the bottom to act as a holder and that when the crime was over, the killer broke the blade into many pieces and - with the tissue paper - flushed it down the toilet before fleeing the scene. He watched as she directed a slender finger towards Hiroshi, announcing him to be the killer who they were looking for.

"W- What are you talking about!? You have no proof!"

"Proof?" She mocked. "If it's proof you're looking for, I have it right here."

The cloth she held with a handkerchief was raised and spread out, revealing a bloodied white shirt. Hiroshi's face paled immediately once he saw the shirt and the inspector demanded where she got it from.

"From the compartment under Hiroshi-san's desk." She answered coolly. "Though, I would never have found it if it wasn't for the small... accident."

Akashi noticed her hand absently touching the back of her head before she returned the attention to Hiroshi, who seemed visibly flustered by the female detective's discovery. His body shook as his eyes widened terribly and soon enough he fell to his knees, his head hung low in frustration.

"Did you actually kill Masato just because he wouldn't promote you?"

It was Yuiko who had spoken up, her face contorted into an expression of disgust, although the tone of her voice was quiet, and gentle.

"That was only the trigger." Hiroshi scoffed, a dry smirk on his lips as he was pulled up to his feet by the police detective who cuffed him soon after. "That bastard never appreciated anything I did for him or the group; constantly criticizing me, calling me incompetent. Then he goes and promotes a more inferior employee as vice chairman? Ridiculous! I just couldn't take it anymore!"

"That's enough." The inspector firmly instructed. "Take him to the car."

* * *

Kudo was practically radiating as she smiled with satisfaction from ear to ear. The inspector had thanked and apologized to her for the string of events between them and he had also told her that she was welcome to help out in the crime scenes at any time. The recognition from the inspector was probably just as gratifying as being able to solve the case, Akashi assumed.

"Is your head alright, Kudo-san?"

She shot him an offended look before registering what he actually meant. Akashi opened his mouth to apologize for his choice of wording, but she waved a hand and told him she was fine.

"I accidentally knocked over his pen holder and the pens rolled under the desk." She said. "I forgot I was under the desk and bumped my head into the hidden compartment."

"Quite lucky, you might say."

To this, she only offered a nod.

"You heading home?"

"Yes," he nodded, glancing at his watch. "It is already almost midnight. Would you like me to give you a ride to your lodging?"

"You don't have to. I'm sure I can get a taxi—"

"I insist."

* * *

The ride home was silent, sparing the few moments where they talked about general topics like school, hobbies and sports in the back seat as his driver carefully drove through the streets. Kudo didn't seem surprised when Akashi mentioned he was one of the representatives for his school's basketball club and when he pointed it out, she gave a brief explanation about how his height, build and various other physical pointers gave it away.

"Why did you decide to become a detective, Kudo-san?"

Akashi finally allowed himself to ask the question that had been bugging him since the party. He wasn't sure if the information would bring any significance to him, but he wanted to know, and it was a topic that could rid the silence that lingered in the car.

"Well," she twirled a finger around her now loose hair and rubbed the strands as she told him. "It's really just because I wanted – want – to become like Holmes. He's amazing, y'know?"

The grin she displayed was one of high regard, admiration, just like the glint he had seen in her eyes prior to their detective game. The man was a fictional character, but the way she regarded him was as if she was talking about a real person, a mentor.

"I see."

Her expression reminded him of someone back from his middle school days, someone who looked at him and others with the same admiring eyes, someone who he had caused despair to.

"Oh, you can stop here."

Her voice brought him back to earth and he requested the driver to stop. Kudo thanked him for the ride and just as she climbed out the car, Akashi called out to her, taking out his phone as he did so. The brunette looked back at him with puzzlement, an eyebrow raised as she bent slightly to look at him from outside the car.

"Would you mind exchanging numbers, Kudo-san?" He asked. "I'd like to keep in touch, perhaps call you when there is a case near me?"

She chuckled at his words, pointing out that she would have to travel two hours from Tokyo just to investigate. But she took out a notebook and pen from the purse she had brought to the party and scribbled something on a page before tearing the paper off the notebook.

"I await your request then, Akashi Seijuro-kun."

There was a tease in her voice and a smile as she offered the paper to him. On it were 12 digits, forming a phone number.

He accepted the paper and thanked her with a smile before returning the wave she promptly gave as she walked off. He watched until she disappeared into the hotel she was staying at and requested the driver to drive.

There was a peculiar feeling of content as he entered the number into his contacts, his fingers lingering over the _kanji_ characters of her name. It was strange. But he didn't mind.

The corner of his lips curled into a smile once again and he found himself admiring the night view with rare anticipation for the coming days.

* * *

 ** _i think i've mentioned this before but i suck at writing mysteries ww  
will/might upload this to ao3 as well !_**

 ** _Thanks for reading!_**


	2. At the Stroke of Midnight - Part1

**_idk how gosho does it for 1008 chapters i can't even  
this is the third version of this chapter and pt.2's coming soon (hopefully) !_**

 ** _Disclaimer: everything belongs to their rightful owners._**

* * *

" _Tsuchida Kenji?"_

Akashi could hear the sound of liquid being poured into what he assumed to be a cup or mug from the other line. It was in the morning – around 9 – on a Sunday when he decided to call her. He assumed the liquid he heard was coffee, considering the time, and from the lack of stirring, he assumed it was black.

"Yes," he confirmed. "He's a friend of my father's, and the CEO of the Tsuchida group – a group which focuses on medical and healthcare. He's a highly successful man and is also well known in the business world."

" _And you are telling me about Tsuchida-san, why?"_

She sounded cranky. He assumed it was because she still hadn't had a sip of the hot coffee she had poured for herself.

"Well, his daughter contacted me late at night yesterday." He explained. "She's a friend and she was also at the party in Kyoto – the one where you had solved Ishikawa-san's murder. She was hoping that I could give you a call in her stead. It is concerning a messaged card that arrived at Tsuchida-san's residence two days ago, one that notified him of his death."

The faint sound of sipping from the other line stopped abruptly before he heard her voice coated with mild surprise.

" _He's dead?"_

"Yes." He confirmed. "He was found by his eldest son yesterday, murdered in his bedroom. The cause of death was poisoning by potassium cyanide. The police concluded that he ingested the poison when he drank from a bottle of wine found in the room as they found traces of it in the wine glass, as well as the bottle of wine that he was presumed to have been drinking from on the night of his death."

" _The son found him?"_ She questioned. " _What about the wife?"_

"The wife, Tsuchida Sachie-san, died last year from cancer. Only his two sons and daughter live with him in the Tsuchida residence."

" _You said he received a card, right? What did the card say?"_

"Please give me a moment."

Akashi approached his laptop that was left to idle on his desk and clicked open an image of the card that was sent by Tsuchida's daughter. The contents of the card were typed, signed by no name but only the drawing of a spade from trump cards.

"'At the stroke of midnight, you will perish for your sins. There is no return for what you have done. You will suffer painfully as that is what you deserve'... It is signed with the drawing of a spade, the suit from trump cards. The police have concluded that it is the job of an outsider as they found nothing significant indicating otherwise and Rika-san – Tsuchida-san's daughter – is desperate to find the killer, although it has only been a day since her father's passing."

She hummed thoughtfully at the information she was provided with, once again the sound of sipping was heard from the other line. She went quiet for a moment, probably lost in thought. Akashi waited for her to speak up but when she didn't, he called out to her, hoping to snap her back to reality.

" _Is this you hiring me for the case?"_

She finally responded to him. There was a tease in her voice mixed with anticipation. At this, Akashi chuckled, remembering the words she had uttered when she handed him her number. Of course, he hadn't expected to be involved in one himself when he asked. It was merely an excuse that became true and he found a part of himself celebrating, although he knew it was rude to the Tsuchida's.

"Well, technically it is Rika-san that is hiring, but yes. She will be expecting us tomorrow, at the Tsuchida manor."

" _Us?"_

"Yes. She has asked for my presence as well. Since it will be a consecutive holiday, I've agreed."

" _I see_." She uttered after another sip of her coffee, her voice sounding much more relaxed than before. "Well, _send me the address and I'll be there. Oh, and send me the picture of the card. I want to see it for myself too."_

"Understood." He nodded. "Thank you, Kudo-san. I'm sure you will be given an appropriate amount of money as a reward."

" _Aah, I don't really care much about the money."_ He could hear the grin in her voice. " _I enjoy doing what I do."_

* * *

"I thought I told you to send me the address?"

She stood in front of the gates of her house when he arrived the next day late in the evening and had her arms crossed over her chest as an attempt to show displeasure, but the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips foiled that attempt. It was the first he had seen her in casual attire, considering this was only the second time they have met after the party. She wore a black long-sleeved turtleneck paired with beige jeans and had a bag slung over her shoulder.

Although smaller than his own, her residence was larger than he expected. It was a given that she would come from money, seeing as her parents were famous people, but for some reason it never crossed his mind that she would be living in a mansion.

Akashi smiled from the backseat of the car and shrugged, himself donning a similar coloured shirt and slacks. He slid to the other side of the car once his driver opened the door for her and Kudo carefully entered the luxurious vehicle.

"I thought it was more appropriate if I were to pick you up instead."

"How thoughtful." She snickered.

The car drove away from her mansion and was now headed towards the Tsuchida's. At first, they avoided the topic on Tsuchida's death, choosing to talk about how they have been doing since the party. Kudo replied with giving a summary of the cases she ran into – some of the details were gruesome enough to earn a restrained shudder from Akashi – while Akashi replied with telling her that the basketball team he led was preparing for the inter-high championship.

"What do you think about Tsuchida-san's murder?"

He finally brought up the topic when they were halfway towards the Tsuchida manor. He was curious to see her input, wondering if she also thought it was the work of an outsider.

Kudo shrugged at his question.

"I can't say anything yet since I don't have all the information," she answered. "But I'm curious about the 'sins' the card mentioned. Do you know anything about it?"

"No," he shook his head. "As far as I know, Tsuchida-san was a good man. He was someone who valued life more than anything else, which was why he chose to focus on medical and healthcare."

"Are there any rumours about him? Anything at all."

"No, not to my knowledge."

The whole situation felt like déjà vu to him. Even during the Ishikawa murder, she was prying information from him, asking about the dirty secrets she assumed he knew. He didn't really. He wasn't involved that deep into the corporate world yet, as compared to his father. He reckoned that if she were to ask his father, she would have gotten all the answers she needed. Provided that he was willing to answer her, that is.

"Well, he must've done something to earn a grudge this strong."

"Rika-san would know more."

"Speaking of which," Kudo leaned back curiously into the car seat and titled her head at an angle that allowed her to see him better. "How long have you and Rika-san known each other? You said she was a friend and it sounds like you guys have known each other for a while."

He wondered how she reached to that conclusion.

"My father is acquainted with hers, so I have known her and her brothers since we were rather young. Perhaps since primary school." He answered. "I spent more time with her compared to her brothers, however, as she was the closest to my age."

The brunette hummed a response before grinning teasingly at him. "Is she like your first love?"

"No," he chuckled. "There was never anything like that. However, I do admit she is an important friend."

"An important friend, huh~"

"What about you, Kudo-san?"

She was obviously surprised at the question that was suddenly directed to her and the look of puzzlement quickly spread on her face. She raised an eyebrow at him along with her shoulders, and asked the meaning of his question.

"Do you have someone from childhood who you would consider your first love?"

He didn't miss the reddening of her cheeks just before she looked away. It was refreshing to see her act like a normal teenage girl, breaking the boyish-detective image he held of her. He held back a laugh as she composed herself with a cough and proceeded to deny having anyone she considered so. He concluded silently that it was a first love that had grown into a current love and decided to not pry any further into the matter.

* * *

They were brought to an office upon arrival by a maid where they were greeted by a woman in her early twenties who introduced herself as Rika, Tsuchida's daughter and the youngest of the three siblings. Her long, wavy hair was dyed a light shade of brown and she had a thin layer of makeup on her already flawless features. The dress that she wore was simple, but stunning. It was beautiful shade of midnight blue with laces on the hems and patterns of flowers neatly arranged on the silky fabric. It complemented her fair skin very much.

"Thank you for coming over, Seijuro-kun, Kudo-san." Rika uttered gracefully as she gave a curt bow.

Akashi immediately returned the gesture by reflex, but Kudo's response was slightly delayed as she was enthralled by the beauty that stood in front of her. Akashi had to hold back the chuckle that threatened to escape his lips at the slight pink that dusted the detective's cheeks from her admiration.

"The reason why I asked Seijuro-kun to contact you is partly because I want you to find my father's killer, as you must have guessed." Rika explained as she offered them to sit on the couch opposite of her, the maid serving them tea.

"Could you tell us everything from the beginning?"

"Of course." She nodded. "As you know, my father was found yesterday – dead – in his room by my eldest brother, Takeshi, when he arrived home. It was around 1:30 in the morning. He wanted to congratulate father and have a drink with him as the family business has reached its 10th anniversary but when he knocked on the door there was no answer. So, he opened the door and..."

Rika paused to take a breath. Akashi noticed how she fiddled with her fingers as she spoke, a habit she would perform when uncomfortable.

"And he found your father."

It was Kudo who helped her find her words, her voice a little sympathetic when she spoke. Rika bit her lip and nodded.

"Yes. He was on the floor by his desk with the wine glass broken near him. My brother then called for the butler and told him to call the police. I was woken up by my brother's shouting."

"What did the police say about the estimated time of death?"

"They estimated it to be around 11:30pm to 12:30am."

"May I ask for your alibi for that time? As well as the alibi of the others in the manor."

"I was asleep at the time. My second brother was out with friends and my eldest brother was driving home. As for the staff, our head butler – Yamagishi Teruo-san – was with them. They were discussing some matters regarding the manor."

"Anyone to corroborate the alibis?"

"Not for me and my eldest brother. My second brother's friends and the other staff have corroborated my second brother and Yamagishi-san's alibi respectively."

Akashi watched as Kudo offered a thoughtful hum then leaned back into the material of the couch, her eyes remained on Rika's beautiful figure. Her questioning sounded like something she was reading from a script, possibly due to the fact that it was the usual string of questions she would ask in any other case. She seemed to mumble a few words to herself before straightening her posture once again to speak to Rika.

"You said that your father's death is partly the reason you wanted to contact me?"

"Oh, yes." Rika's eyes fluttered, and she walked towards the desk in the office before pulling out a white envelope from the drawer. She handed Kudo a white envelope once she returned to the couch, her expression anxious. "This is the other reason I wanted you to come."

Kudo took the envelope from her and carefully examined it before opening it. There was only a name written on the envelope – Yukito – and inside it was a card that contained the same typed out messaged signed by the drawing of a spade that Tsuchida had received, however the content of the message was different.

"'You protected your father thus you share the same sin as him. At the stroke of midnight, you will join him in hell.'..."

Akashi read the card out loud in monotone and glanced at Kudo, who asked who Yukito was. Rika informed that it was her second brother, earning a hum from the younger female. The woman furrowed her eyebrows as she stared at the card, biting her under lip.

"I'm not sure what this... sin the card keeps talking about but I'm certain it's the work of someone from the inside."

The two teens exchanged looks and it was Kudo who asked the reason for her certainty. Rika got up from the couch and gestured for them to follow as she guided them towards the wine cellar. The wine cellar was located at the end of the passageway to the left of the main hall, protected by a seemingly sturdy wooden door. Once they stood in front of the door, Rika tapped the door handle with a perfectly manicured finger and their attention was brought to the keypad that was under the handle.

"The wine cellar is password protected," She uttered. "Father has very valuable wine in here, so he was especially adamant on keeping them safe. Only my brothers, our head butler – Yamagishi-san – and myself know the password to the cellar so it's unlikely that an outsider could gain access to the wine and poison it."

"Could it be that they got the password beforehand by spying on you when you unlock the cellar?"

"That's impossible." Rika shook her head at Kudo's question. "My father made it a point to change the password every day at random times so even if an outsider were to obtain it beforehand, it would become useless."

"How did Tsuchida-san tell you the new password?"

"He would text us eight numbers and the second number for every pair would be the new password. Just like the password, only the four of us knew about how to derive the password from the numbers."

Kudo hummed at the information provided to her and crossed her arms over her chest, a suspicious gaze directed towards the door handle. Akashi noticed she had become engrossed in her thoughts as silence fell upon them and he sighed, turning his attention to the anxious Rika.

"You are aware that you are placing suspicion upon yourself, right, Rika-san?"

Rika nodded regretfully.

"Yes. But I don't mind as I am not the killer."

Her words were filled with enough certainty that could convince anyone. However, Akashi knew that it wasn't enough to remove her from the suspect list just with her self-certainty. Rather, the self-certainty could be a source of doubt depending on other circumstantial factors.

Kudo seemed bothered. Why exactly, Akashi couldn't say. Her eyebrows were knitted and the glare she sent towards the keypad was so intense that if looks were as effective as weapons, the keypad would be destroyed by now. After another few moments of staring at the keypad – to which Rika couldn't help but query what the matter was – Kudo excused herself and disappeared into the main hall just as she pulled out her cellphone. Rika sent a questioning look to Akashi, hoping to understand what had just happened, but he only answered with a shrug.

"I wish for the two of you to stay the night," she uttered all of a sudden. "The card sent might be just a prank but considering what happened to my father, I don't want to take any chances."

"I don't mind." Akashi nodded. "However, I would have to confirm with Kudo-san if she is okay with staying the night."

"Of course." Rika glanced at the corner where Kudo had disappeared before solemnly uttering to Akashi, "I hope she is able to catch the killer."

Her green eyes reflected sadness, however there was also a hint of determination. Determination to catch whoever it was that killed her father. He knew how close the two were – something he envied about her since their acquaintance at a young age – so he could imagine the pain and anger she was feeling at his loss. If he wasn't so particular about boundaries, he would choose to give her shoulder a squeeze or perhaps a hug. But he just closed his eyes and uttered,

"I'm sure she will."

Rather than an empty assurance, he was confident that she would solve the case. The solving of the case in Kyoto was anything but a fluke and she did have a flawless record. If there was anyone that he was sure could find Tsuchida's killer, it would be her.

* * *

There was a knock on the guest room he was provided to spend the night in. Kudo had agreed to stay the night as she also had a bad premonition regarding the card that was sent to Rika's brother. They were both ushered into their respective guest rooms by Yamagishi after a satisfying dinner with the three siblings and a quick survey of the master bedroom – the crime scene. Since then, Akashi had been reading books from the book shelf provided in the room. It was a cozy room, albeit smaller than the rooms in the mansion he grew up in, but it was definitely extravagant. As expected from a group as successful as the Tsuchida's.

The clock on the wall showed 11:38pm and Akashi wondered who it was this late at night. He placed the hard-covered book he had been reading beside him on the bed then walked across the carpeted floor towards the door before cautiously opening it.

He was surprised to see that it was Kudo who stood in front of his room, wearing clothes that differed the ones she had been wearing when they met up. He let her into his room – to which she thanked him for – and she instantly made herself comfortable by lowering her bottom onto the soft sheets of the bed.

"Did you anticipate that we were going to have a sleepover?" He asked, referring to the change of clothes.

She was wearing a t-shirt two sizes larger than necessary with ¾ tights under the loose cotton fabric while he was still in his shirt and slacks. She also must have just gotten out of the shower as he noticed the scent of expensive shampoo that lingered in her hair when she passed by him.

She shrugged at his question, her expression indicating that her change of clothes was less significant than whatever it was she wanted to talk to him about in the middle of the night.

"I brought them just in case." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Rather than that, I found out something interesting about the case."

"Something interesting, you say." Akashi uttered and turned the cushioned chair by the desk in the room to face her before taking a seat. "What is it?"

"I called an acquaintance in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department earlier before dinner and asked about the details of the case." She explained. "The potassium cyanide seemed to have originated from the wine bottle, but the thing is, there were no fingerprints left on the bottle nor the glass Tsuchida-san was drinking from."

"None at all?"

"Yeah. This means the killer must have wiped them off because his fingerprints were on them."

"That would mean he didn't wear any gloves." He uttered. "If it was a premeditated murder, wouldn't he have prepared gloves?"

"Exactly." She licked her lips with a nod. "I have my assumptions for why he didn't prepare the gloves but it's merely an assumption."

"What about the spade that the messaged card was signed with? Does it have any significance?"

"Well, the spade suit can represent 'death' so I suppose that's what the killer wants to convey."

She shrugged and allowed herself to fall into the soft covers on the bed, an incoherent mumble uttered as she did so. She sounded like she already had a theory built up, but he suspected that she lacked the proof to support her theory, just like the previous case they were involved in.

At dinner, the detective took her chance to question the three Tsuchida's, confirming their alibis and asking if they had any idea for the motive of Tsuchida's murder or the targeting of Yukito. Yukito was the first to deny any knowledge, followed by Rika, while Takeshi hesitated. Although pushed by Kudo, Takeshi wouldn't say what was on his mind and proceeded to deny having any knowledge of motive.

Kudo informed Akashi that she had cornered Takeshi just after they were taken to their rooms to ask him once again if he had any idea about motive but failed to get an answer. Being the eldest and the successor to his father, she was sure that he was well informed about the family's affairs – business and personal-wise. She stressed that she was certain he knew something and that he was perhaps protecting himself – or someone – by not telling. Her reasoning was sound – Akashi mused – however it wouldn't help the case if they continued to dwell on Takeshi's reluctance to tell.

"Going by their alibis, it would seem that Rika-san and Takeshi-san are the most suspicious, am I correct?"

Kudo nodded, merely glancing at him.

"According to the police, Yukito-san's alibi is solid and although Yamagishi-san – the butler – excused himself from the staff discussions for around 10 to 15 minutes, I doubt he'd have enough time and he wears gloves around the manor. There's no need to wipe off fingerprints if he were the killer. And as far as motive goes, there's nothing that the police could find. Did Rika-san say mention anything to you?"

She was hoping Rika told him something, considering their childhood bond. He guessed by the way she stared his way, once again with anticipation, just like the Ishikawa case. He wondered why she thought he had all the information regarding the families he was acquainted with. Everyone had their own dark secrets that they kept to themselves, and he was sure she was well aware of that.

"Other than claiming she is innocent, nothing in particular."

Kudo sighed, and Akashi could tell she wasn't pleased. The suspect pool was narrowed to two people, but pinpointing the killer was proving to be a task with the lack of evidence surrounding them. Plus, there was also the lack of motive from both suspects. Why would one of the two – if not both – kill their own father? Inheritance would suffice as a motive, but it seemed a little lacking, especially since the children all had their fair share in the company's money.

"That reminds me," Akashi spoke up in a moment of realization. "I had a chance to speak with Yamagishi-san earlier."

"Yamagishi-san?"

It seemed that questioning Yamagishi had slipped her mind, probably due to the assumption that he wouldn't speak without prior approval of his employers. Furthermore, she wasn't a close friend of the family, so she had probably assumed that he wouldn't talk based on that fact as well.

"Yes," he affirmed. "I asked him if there were any significant incidents in the business or family that had occurred that might cause someone to hold a grudge against Tsuchida-san. At first, he was not quite sure, but he remembered an incident just a year ago that had occurred in one of the hospitals Tsuchida-san owned."

Kudo sat up – visibly intrigued by the new piece of information she was presented with – and leaned forwards and she waited for Akashi to continue his words.

"One of the doctors committed suicide by jumping off the hospital building." He told. "An eyewitness said it happened during midnight. According to other hospital staff, he was a successful, well-liked doctor who didn't seem to have any trouble in his private life thus they couldn't think of a reason he would want to kill himself."

"Midnight..."

She had placed a finger on her chin as she muttered, noticing the significance of the story he had told her. It was too much of a coincidence for Tsuchida's notified time of death and the doctor's suicide to not be related.

"The doctor's suicide could be the motive... Did Yamagishi-san tell you who the doctor was?"

"No, he didn't know his name."

Kudo bit her under lip then worriedly glanced to the clock on the wall which indicated 5 minutes before 12. She slid of the edge of the bed and took her phone out of her pocket to check the time, perhaps to confirm if the wall clock was accurate or not.

"It's almost midnight..."

He nodded at her statement, comprehending that she was referring to the notified time on the card. He wondered if there was really going to be another killing tonight, specifically the killing of Yukito, the second child of the family. If there was going to be another killing, then it would take place at midnight, just as specified by the card. The timing seemed to significant for the killer to not abide by it.

"I'm going to Yukito-san's room." Kudo announced as she made her way towards the door.

"I'll come with you."

The hallways were dark as the lights have been dimmed but they were sufficient enough to see where they were going. Carefully, they made their way downstairs, using their hands to guide them towards the kitchen where they found some of the staffs unwinding with a bottle of alcohol. Followed by rushed thank you's and apologies, they acquired the location of Yukito's room from the staffs and wasted no time in heading towards the room. The large clock in the main hall had chimed, signaling midnight, while they were in the kitchen thus there was no time to spare. The two hastened their steps to the third floor and to the end of the hallway to the right, where Yukito's room was.

"Yukito-san?" Kudo called out as she knocked on the door. "May we come in? Yukito-san?"

There was no response from Yukito and Kudo sent Akashi a concerned glance that was barely discernible under the dim lighting. She knocked on the door a few more times and when there was still no response, Akashi saw her face him and open her mouth to convey something to him when all of a sudden, the door flew open violently, striking Kudo on the shoulder.

Akashi managed to catch her when she lost her balance due to the impact and he was close enough to see her eyes instantly shooting a glare towards a shadowed figure that ran off towards the staircase. He too was looking in the same direction but there wasn't enough lighting for him to identify who it was that had escaped.

"Chase him!"

It was Kudo that shouted an order after a much-needed curse and shoved him aside before breaking into a run. Akashi ran after her, adrenaline pumping through his veins as they ran down the steps following the hardly visible figure. Their footsteps echoed throughout the quiet mansion along with their ragged breaths. Being athletes, the sprinting wasn't a big problem for them, but it was dark, and they could hardly see where they were headed. It rather unnerved them, the fact that the person they were pursuing could just be waiting at the next corner, using the darkness to their advantage, to bash a blunt object into their skulls and get away with murder. But they kept chasing after them, not wanting to lose sight of their suspect.

They had chased the person to the first floor – their hearts pounding loudly in their chest – but by the time their feet touched the marbled tiles of the main hall, they had already lost sight of them. Their eyes darted around the darkness to try and detect any movement, but they couldn't see anything.

"Damn it!"

There was a loud sound which Akashi assumed was Kudo slamming her fist into the wall, followed by a refrained wince. She sounded frustrated. It was understandable, he mused, considering the fact that they had just let someone who is possibly the killer get away.

Akashi allowed his breathing to steady before carefully inching closer to where he assumed Kudo was. Just as he was about to call her name, the lights of the mansion lit up to their intended brightness and they could hear footsteps approaching them. Their eyes took a moment to adjust to the sudden change of lighting but when they did, the sight of Yamagishi, Rika and Takeshi was the first they saw. All three of them were in their night attires and Akashi concluded the loud shouts and running from him and Kudo must have woken them up.

"What happened?" Yamagishi asked worriedly.

"The killer was here." Kudo stated with a bitter undertone in her voice, not bothering to use formalities as she did.

Akashi noticed how she glared at the three people that came to them, analyzing every detail of their behaviour and appearance. She observed as the three showed various degrees of shock, fear and worry, gauging the authenticity of their expressions. She seemed to have noticed something from the three of them judging from the way her eyes narrowed suspiciously at them. She shook her head after that and turned on her heels to head up the stairs.

"Anyway, call the police." She instructed to particularly no one. "If I'm right, Yukito-san is already..."

She paused and decided not to finish her sentence.

* * *

The view that was in front of him was definitely something that Akashi didn't want to get used to. To get used to something would require constant exposure. He wouldn't want to receive constant exposure to dead bodies if he could help it.

Yukito's body was sprawled on the carpeted floor with his eyes wide open and his hands raised beside his head. There was a small dot on his neck which resembled an injection mark and Akashi heard Kudo mumble to herself about how it could be poisoning by potassium cyanide, just like Tsuchida.

"It seems that he struggled with the killer before or while he was injected with the poison." She uttered, raising the victim's right hand with a handkerchief to show Akashi from her crouched position. "Look, there's skin and blood under his nail. He must have scratched the killer during the struggle."

Akashi crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame, his nose crinkled slightly at the sight of the body.

"Isn't that different from Tsuchida-san's murder?" He asked. "Tsuchida-san wasn't poisoned with a needle and he didn't struggle with the killer."

"It's probably because this is the second murder." She uttered. "Tsuchida-san had just been murdered following the notice from the card so obviously Yukito-san would be on guard. Since poisoning the wine wasn't an option anymore, the killer had to change his methods."

Kudo placed a hand on her knee to straighten her posture but winced the moment she exerted force onto her right arm. As if by reflex, Akashi took the few steps towards her and offered a hand to help her up, which she accepted. He observed as she squeezed her right shoulder a few times before choosing to speak up.

"You should put ice on that shoulder, Kudo-san."

"It's fine, it's fine." She waved her left hand in dismissal. "It's not as bad as you think."

"Still," he insisted. "You should."

"Later then."

Kudo shuffled away from Akashi and proceeded to walk around the room in hopes of finding evidence. Akashi sighed, a little appalled at her decision to prioritize the case rather than her own sore shoulder but he supposed he should have expected it. As long as the shoulder didn't get in the way of her investigation, he guessed she wouldn't apply even first aid on it.

With another sigh, Akashi joined the remaining members of the Tsuchida family who were in the room opposite of the crime scene. Rika was sobbing uncontrollably when he entered and holding her in his arms was Takeshi, who tenderly stroked her back as an effort to comfort her. Yamagishi stood by them faithfully, a solemn look in his eyes as his gaze remained firm on the carpeted floor.

The eldest of the Tsuchida's noticed the redhead entering the room and acknowledged him with a nod. Anger and grief was reflected in the eyes that gazed his way and he could feel sympathy welling up in his chest. The man whispered a few words to Rika before he let go of her and approached Akashi.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Takeshi shook his head at his words and gritted his teeth.

"I will kill the bastard who did this to them."

Akashi refrained pointing out the fact that it was an insider – one of them – who killed Tsuchida and Yukito and settled with a sympathizing hum. It was enough heart ache for one day.

Takeshi sighed, crossing his arms over his chest and allowed his head to tilt backwards as he closed his eyes before shooting a troubled gaze to the younger male in front of him. He seemed to have something to say but was carefully choosing his words. After a momentary pause, Takeshi sighed again and shook his head.

"Sorry." He uttered. "I'm getting emotional."

"No, it's understandable."

The man gave a wry smile and lightly patted Akashi on the shoulder before walking out of the room. At the corner of his eye, he saw Takeshi speak to Kudo who approached him – probably to ask him for his alibi – and he noticed the way Takeshi's expression gradually changed from gentle and welcoming to one with hostility. It didn't take a full minute until he heard a huff from Takeshi before he walked off, clearly unpleased with whatever conversation he just had with the female.

Kudo sighed and looked towards him, sending a stern look as her eyes narrowed his way. However, he realized she wasn't looking at him, but rather at Rika and Yamagishi who were in the room right past him. And it was also then that he realized she had found the evidence that she needed to name the killer that they were looking for.

* * *

 _ **Thanks for reading !**_


	3. At the Stroke of Midnight - Part2

**_Disclaimer: everything belongs to their rightful owners._**

 ** _(i suck at writing mysteries gosho-sensei how do you even)_**

* * *

Rain had started to fall heavily by the time the police made their appearance to the Tsuchida manor and the air outside was cold, as if mourning for the loss of the second son. The inspector that arrived was a large man wearing a hat and a stern look that immediately turned into a smile at the sight of Kudo who greeted the police upon arrival. Akashi assumed that the inspector was the acquaintance in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department that she had mentioned before, judging by the friendliness in their interaction.

After a quick summary of the happenings that lead to the discovery of Yukito's body on the way up, the police carried out their investigation of the crime scene, collecting the evidence that had already been found by Kudo earlier. The inspector – a man who Kudo addressed as Inspector Megure – offered his condolences to the two siblings and proceeded to question them and Yamagishi about their whereabouts during the murder.

"So, to confirm," Megure started, flipping the mental notes he took from the interview with the suspects. "During the first murder, Rika-san was sleeping in her room, Takeshi-san was driving home, and Yamagishi-san was having a discussion with the other staff. During the second murder, both Rika-san and Takeshi-san were sleeping while Yamagishi-san you were..."

"Preparing to go to sleep, inspector." The aged head butler answered quietly. "I was climbing into bed when I heard the commotion from Akashi-sama and Kudo-sama."

"And then you ran downstairs to check?"

"Yes."

"Takeshi-san, you were awoken by the commotion?"

The man nodded. "Yes. I rushed down, following the source of the noise to the first floor, and nearly bumped into Yamagishi-san who was about to switch on the lights."

"And Rika-san, you too were awoken by the commotion?"

She nodded, swallowing before answering. "I— I heard footsteps and shouting so I was worried..."

"You were the last to arrive?"

"Yes..."

"Can any of you think of any reason someone would want to kill both Tsuchida-san and Yukito-san?"

Megure only received shakes of the head from the three, causing him to sigh.

Akashi's gaze trailed over to the three current suspects from the police who were doing their job, observing their reactions when Kudo approached the inspector and mentioned that the skin under the victim's nails could be the killer's. Nothing in particular stood out, not a shred of shock or fear at the presence of physical evidence. Takeshi offered a momentary look of anticipation but that was it. The other two showed no change in demeanor – Rika still trying to hold back her sobs and Yamagishi still a little too sad to even say a word.

He wondered how the killer could stay calm even with the knowledge that there was evidence that could lead the police to them. Shouldn't they be at least afraid of getting caught? Even after the effort of wiping off fingerprints from the first killing, they became sloppy and didn't remove the skin from under Yukito's fingernails. Although the interruption from him and Kudo was unexpected, there still should have been time for them to remove the evidence. But they didn't.

"Inspector Megure."

Kudo's voice interrupted his thoughts and his eyes directed their gaze towards the female who stood beside the inspector with hands over her chest. The posture she held made her seem gallant, although there was hint of solemnness in her eyes that made him wonder.

"Instead of waiting for the DNA test results, I'd rather if we ended things right here, right now."

Inspector Megure whipped his head towards Kudo and with widened eyes, loudly exclaimed, "Have you figured out who the killer is, Kudo-kun?"

Takeshi, Rika and Yamagishi seemed surprised. The two siblings glanced at each other while their butler merely kept his eyes on the female detective that moved away from them, towards the spotlight.

Kudo nodded and turned back to the three suspects and Megure. It was like she was searching for confirmation, although it was clear she was already sure of her verdict. However, there wasn't a look of triumph on her face. It was stern, just as it had been ever since they chased the killer. Her lips were pursed into a fine line and her eyes seemed to glare straight at the inspector, filled with conviction. Akashi wondered why the smirk she had on the previous case wasn't present.

"Although it took Yukito-san's murder, I'm certain of who the killer is."

Anticipation was building up in the air and there were quiet murmurs between the three suspects who looked at each other questioningly.

"Who is it?" It was Megure who asked. "Who is the killer, Kudo-kun?"

"Let's not get impatient, inspector. Allow me to explain how the murders were committed." Kudo shifted her posture as her head tilted to one side. "First, for Tsuchida-san's murder, the killer injected the potassium cyanide into the bottle of wine from the cellar through the cork using a syringe and brought the wine to Tsuchida-san's room. They knocked on his door and told him that they wanted to celebrate the group's 10th anniversary with the bottle of wine. Tsuchida-san invited them inside and poured the two of them a glass of wine but only Tsuchida-san had the chance to drink the wine, which led to his death."

"Wait," Takeshi interrupted. "How do you know father poured the wine for both of them?"

"According to the police, the volume of wine remaining in the bottle indicated two glasses worth of wine had been poured." The female detective stated, glancing at Megure who nodded in confirmation. "I doubt that Tsuchida-san was able to pour himself another glass after ingesting poison from the first glass.

After Tsuchida-san died, the killer quickly wiped off their fingerprints off the wine bottle and glasses before escaping. The reason why the killer didn't wear gloves to the crime scene was probably to not raise any suspicion from Tsuchida-san."

"That would mean you have no proof." Takeshi interjected.

"True," she admitted. "There is no proof of who the killer is from the first murder. It's clean, however the first murder would suggest that the killer was someone who could invite Tsuchida-san for a celebratory drink without seeming suspicious. Which would mean either you, Takeshi-san, or Rika-san. Considering his position, it would be rather unlikely for Yamagishi-san to do so."

Akashi noticed how Takeshi crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at Kudo, clearly not appreciating the fact she was insinuating that he was an obvious suspect. There wasn't much a reaction from Rika, however, who only watch quietly as Kudo continued to unravel her reasoning.

"For the second murder," she proceeded. "The killer had to change their method to kill Yukito-san as he had his guard up. Instead of giving him poisoned wine, they chose to directly inject the poison at his neck when there was an opening. However, Yukito struggled during the attack and in the few moments before he succumbed to the poison, he managed to scratch the killer and left behind undeniable physical evidence which the killer didn't remove. Of course, like I said, we could just wait for DNA test results to come back from the lab, but I doubt that you'd be around by then. Right,"

Her statement was directed to the three who stood by the door, confusion in their eyes except for the one who understood what she was saying. She turned to face the three, however her eyes were fixed upon the one who she was convinced, who she knew was responsible for the two deaths that had occurred. There was a pause, and she allowed the name of the killer to roll off her tongue.

"Tsuchida Rika-san?"

Hushed gasps escaped the two men who stood by the accused and Akashi could only stare at her in shock. She was the last person he expected to be the killer and for a short moment, he felt that there was a mistake in Kudo's reasoning.

"Ridiculous."

It was Takeshi who objected, understandably non-accepting of the revelation by Kudo. He stood protectively in front of his sister, his eyebrows furrowed as he glared deeply at the younger female detective. Although he seemed vexed, he managed to keep his voice and body controlled.

"Rika would never do such a thing. And this skin under the fingernails you're talking about could have not come from her. You have nothing to prove that it did without the test results."

Rika was silent behind Takeshi, not even taking the effort to defend herself. She kept an empty gaze on the carpeted floor of her deceased brother's room while her hands were now neatly held together in front of her. Her thumb was rubbing against her hand, however nothing else indicated how she was feeling at the moment.

"Yukito-san scratched his killer, which would mean there would be scratch marks on them." Kudo calmly responded. "Rika-san, would you mind holding up your hair for me?"

Takeshi quizzically looked at Kudo before turning his head towards Rika, gauging her blank expression that hardly explained anything to him. The man then returned his gaze to Kudo, demanding the purpose of her request. Kudo ignored him, however, and once again requested Rika to hold her hair up.

The woman was silent for a moment, before she closed her eyes in acceptance and gathered her long hair that flowed down her shoulders to expose her neck. On her fair skin near her nape, there were reddish marks which could only be fresh scratch marks from another person.

Disbelief took over Takeshi's features and he could only stare at Rika, who calmly allowed her hair to drop over her shoulders once more. He seemed crestfallen and his eyes seemed to be silently asking Rika why.

Rika took no notice of her brother's heartbroken expression and proceeded to smile at Kudo, though it was hardly a smile of joy nor malice. It was empty, with perhaps a hint of relief hidden behind it.

"When did you notice?"

"When you pretended to have come with Takeshi-san and Yamagishi-san to check on the ruckus me and Akashi made, I noticed you were very much more disheveled and short of breath than the two. Since you had been desperately running away from us, it was to be expected." She shrugged. "It was at that moment too that I noticed the scratch marks on your neck, though you were quick to hide it with your hair."

"I see," she chuckled. "You really are observant."

"But why?" Yamagishi spoke up. "Why did you kill the master and Yukito-sama?"

"It's because of the doctor that committed suicide, am I right?"

Rika glanced at Kudo and nodded. The woman raised her shoulders and once again chuckled.

"That's correct." She affirmed. "I killed father and Yukito-niisan because of him."

"You killed the both of them just because some doctor committed suicide?"

Takeshi couldn't help but raise his voice, but it was more of incredulity rather than rage. He just couldn't comprehend why his own sister would murder her own flesh and blood over a doctor who just worked at one of their hospitals. The man's body trembled slightly as he questioned his sister and his voice quivered along as well.

"He wasn't just some doctor!" It was Rika's turn to raise her voice. "Teruaki-san and I were lovers! We even planned to get married. Father knew about that, so he decided to get rid of him by pushing him into committing suicide!"

"Father did what?"

The eldest Tsuchida staggered back on his feet, the amount of inconceivable information he was receiving at the moment was overwhelming. Yamagishi too seemed shocked, but Takeshi seemed to have been hit harder.

"He accidentally told me about it one night when he was drunk. About how he threatened Teruaki-san and constantly criticized him for no reason. He cut his salary and he even involved Yukito-niisan in his whole farce by telling him to injure Teruaki-san and make it look like an accident. After the accident, Teruaki-san couldn't perform his best anymore and he fell into despair..." Rika took a deep breath and smiled wryly. "All because he was from a middle-class background and father deemed him unfit to be a part of this godforsaken family."

It was a classic tale of the high-end CEO unable to accept a middle-class man as his in-law, however with a more tragic twist. It was surprising for Akashi, to hear that a man he had a kind image of was capable of such heartless conduct. But then again, he supposed it ran in the rich society. His father was the same after all.

"What they did what unforgivable, but so is what you did." Kudo uttered, her voice remained stern. "That's why, you have to live. You have to live and atone for what you have done. I'm sure that is what Teruaki-san would want you to do."

Rika's eyes widened, then she smiled. It was a sad smile, one with a hint of acceptance. Tears welled up in her eyes once more before they rolled down her cheeks. She nodded when Megure placed a hand on her back and gently asked her to come to the station with him, sending an apologetic look to her brother before stepping out from the room.

Akashi watched as the inspector escorted Rika out. It was strange seeing someone he knew – someone he was close with – taken away by the police. There was a tug in his chest which he determined as sorrow but decided not to dwell on it. It was, after all, a waste of time. However, he was curious of the change in Kudo's expression – how it softened to an expression akin of sadness.

He approached her, inquiring the question that ran in his head.

"How did you know she planned to kill herself?"

Kudo glanced at him and offered a thoughtful hum.

"She deliberately left the skin under Yukito-san's fingernail, even though she could have removed it. I suspected she planned on killing herself after the police left so that even if they determined she was the killer by DNA, they couldn't arrest her. Also," she offered a shrug. "She... probably wanted to join Teruaki-san."

He didn't query how she reached to the conclusion. It was rather easy to deduce that it was a reason in Rika's decision to take her life after the murders. Losing the love of her life and discovering that her own father and brother played a part in the whole scenario, it was enough reason.

"Then," Akashi inquired again. "Why didn't you let her do so? Why did you decide to solve the case and get her arrested?"

He wondered if it was because of the need she felt to solve cases. He figured how much she loved standing in the spotlight when she deducted the killer from the previous case they were involved in, but he wondered if that was the reason that she decided to solve the case immediately without waiting for the DNA test results to return from the lab.

"There was a case I worked on a few months back in Tsukikage Island." She started to tell, her eyes trailing away as she recalled the case from the depths of her memories. "Three people were murdered and every time a murder was committed, the moonlight sonata would be played on a tape. It was a peculiar case. I solved the case, of course. The evidence was there, the solution was clear. But as a result, the killer died. She – he killed himself in a fire."

He could see the regret reflected in her eyes as she uttered her words, the grip on her arms that crossed over her chest tightened slightly. He didn't comprehend the significance of her story. It seemed like any other case that ended with a tragedy – a tragedy that no one would mourn. So, he waited. He waited for her to continue.

"Which is why I decided to solve the case here and have Rika-san arrested. Though I couldn't prevent the suicide then, I can now. Although she's a killer, that doesn't mean I should let her take her own life. That makes me no different than a murderer."

There was self-blame in her tone which Akashi couldn't help but notice. He wondered if there were other cases which haunted her, other cases which shaped her to who she was today. He also wondered, if Rika had wanted to be caught for her father's murder, if she wanted to be stopped before she killed her own brother thus why she requested him to call for Kudo. A part of him strongly favoured that theory.

The rain kept pouring heavily and Akashi offered to send Kudo home, to which she accepted. By the main entrance outside, they waited for his limousine to arrive, Kudo stating that she wanted to feel the fresh air outside. Droplets of rain splattered across the stone surface of the steps at the main entrance, dampening the material of the teens' clothes. The dampness felt comforting against their skin, however.

The two waited patiently in silence in the rain, just watching as the heavens continued to grieve for the happenings of that night.

* * *

 ** _There will be future references here and there to actual happenings in the DC series (like the Moonlight Sonata case) but it will be written as if it happened to 'Kudo' instead of 'Conan' (since this is set in an AU where APTX4869 & the BO doesn't happen w)._**

 _ **Thanks for reading!**_


	4. Corpse on a Cruise - Part1

_Disclaimer: everything belongs to their rightful owners._

 _I haven't proofread anything so there might be sudden grammatical/sentence changes later on w  
_ _Since Hattori speaks with a Kansai dialect, I tried to make it distinct (but honestly how do you even show the Kansai dialect in English asdfghj)_

* * *

A trip on a cruise ship would always have a romantic ring to it. The sound of the waves create tranquility while a cool ocean breeze brushes past. Under the stunning night sky, time is spent with a loved one or perhaps alone, a glass of wine held delicately. The sound of classical symphonies leaking out from the dining area adds elegancy to a simple but pampering trip.

A trip on a cruise ship definitely had a romantic ring to it.

Unless accompanied by a bloody body that followed the delivery of a threatening letter.

Kudo scrunched her nose when it caught a whiff of the metallic smell of blood that came from the immobile man in front of her. The night breeze kept the smell away most of the time, but it still remained. The suit he wore was soaked in red, however there wasn't at all a pool of blood under the body. The body was slumped against the railing of the open observation deck, however not in plain sight, but in the darkness of the shadows. Hidden just enough to hide the grotesque scene of the decapitated body.

The brunette carefully examined the body up close under the light of her phone's torchlight, checking to see if anything significant was left at the crime scene, however only the absence of the victim's head as well as the absence of his expensive Rolex watch stood out. There were scratch marks where the watch should have been – which indicated a struggle between the victim and his killer – and Kudo speculated that the watch was taken away by the killer once the victim was subdued, making her wonder if there was a monetary motive for the murder. Near the body, Kudo noticed that there were sticky remnants that formed the shape of a fairly large square on the shadowy floor. She wondered what could have been placed there and if it was by the killer, or by the crew.

"I asked the crew to seal off the observation deck and inform the police, although I doubt they would be able to come any time soon."

She directed her gaze to the younger redhead behind her who seemed to hold back any indication of horror on his features – at least, that's what he attempted to do.

"Thanks, Akashi." she uttered. "We have to keep this to ourselves for now. I don't want to cause an uproar among the guests."

"Of course."

Kudo stood up from her crouched position, a hand tucking the strands of hair that kept getting in her face due to the breeze.

"Where's Hattori?"

"He left to check around." He answered. "I asked the crew who were nearby, by the way. They hadn't heard or seen anything for the past few hours."

"That means he was killed somewhere else." She frowned. "Cutting off someone's head would cause considerable noise and effort. Not to mention the lack of blood here and that there might have been a struggle between Mochizuki-san and the killer."

Mochizuki Takuya, the chairman of the Mochizuki group and the host for the cruise that night. She recognized the suit and physique belonging to the man thus was positive about who he was. The fact that he disappeared a little more than an hour ago and the threatening letter he received backed her reasoning.

She recalled the phone call she received from her self-proclaimed rival, Hattori Heiji, in the morning, telling her about the letter a friend of his father received and the request to investigate it that came to him. Although she was experiencing caffeine deficiency at the time, she remembered becoming intrigued by the letter and agreeing to help find the sender. Overjoyed by her participation, Hattori extended the cruise invitation to her – which was happening on the same day – and told her that was where their investigation would take place. The cruise was to celebrate the company's 30th anniversary thus many guests – who were also suspects – would gather there.

Upon arrival, they were greeted by Mochizuki who then instructed his staff to guide them to their rooms. After asking around and confirming details with Mochizuki, they joined the other guests at the banquet held in the large ballroom while keeping watch on their client. It was at the banquet where they bumped into Akashi, who had come in his father's stead due to him being outside the country. Simple and general conversations were held until at one point, Kudo and Hattori realised they lost sight of Mochizuki. They searched for the man, along with Akashi, until they found him on the observation deck.

"Carrying his body would require quite the strength." Akashi commented, referring to Mochizuki's slightly large build. "The killer is most probably a man."

"I agree." She nodded. "But we can't rule out two women working together."

He hummed an agreement.

"The estimated time of death would be between 8-9pm, the time when the chairman disappeared to the time we discovered the body, am I correct?"

"That's correct, Watson." Kudo smirked at the younger male, earning a chuckle from him before they were interrupted.

"Oi, Kudo~"

Their attention was directed to a dark-skinned male – who Kudo acknowledged to be Hattori Heiji – approaching them, his phone in his hand with the flashlight turned on. His face was stern, mimicking the expressions of Kudo and Akashi, as he informed them that he couldn't find anything around the observation deck that would help them find the killer.

"Tha' murder weapon might already be deep in the water." Hattori said, crossing his arms just after a sneeze. "Anyways, our suspects are still tha' five we narrowed down ta before."

Prior to Mochizuki's disappearance, Kudo and Hattori managed to eliminate many suspects that were presented to them by the chairman himself and his many guests until they were left with only five based on probable motive.

"Who are they?" Akashi inquired as they left the observation deck and walked towards the ballroom.

"His wife, Mochizuki Kanae, his son, Mochizuki Satoru, his best friend who also is his business partner, Sakaguchi Mitsuru, his secretary, Nishiyama Ryoko and Yoshida Kunihiko, the general manager of the company." Kudo answered. "Kanae-san found out about Mochizuki-san having an affair and the mistress is Sakaguchi-san's wife. He too knows about the affair. Satoru-san would get beaten by his father for any slight mistake he made, Nishiyama-san would continuously receive verbal abuse from Mochizuki-san regarding her work and lastly, Yoshida-san was demoted for something he didn't do and although they found out the real guilty party, Mochizuki-san never apologized to him."

"I was surprised," Hattori exclaimed. "Who would've thought that my pop's friend was an asshole."

"People like that are quite common in the corporate world, unfortunately." Akashi shrugged.

Arriving at the ballroom, Kudo slowly cracked the ballroom door open and peaked through the slight opening, Hattori and Akashi imitating her actions. Through the opening, they searched for the five suspects in the room, examining if any one of them were missing. All five were present in the ballroom. Kanae, Satoru and Nishiyama were together, presumably discussing the absence of the chairman while Sakaguchi and Yoshida were speaking to guests on separate sides of the room.

"Anyway," Kudo slowly closed the ballroom door as she fixed her gaze the two males beside her. "We need to solve this case before this cruise ends or the killer could escape."

"That's correct," Hattori chirped. "Which is why I have a suggestion."

"A suggestion?"

"One of us will question tha' five suspects an' see if their alibi checks out while tha' other two will look around tha' ship to find where Mochizuki-san was decapitated. That's tha' fastest way ta solve tha' case."

"Alright then." Kudo shrugged. "I'll question the suspects while you search the ship with Akashi."

"What?" Hattori seemed taken aback by her words and shook his head as a sign of disagreement. "Why do I have to search tha' ship with this guy?"

"Well, Akashi is not familiar with questioning suspects, so he has to go with one of us to search the ship."

"Does it have ta be me?"

"Do you have a problem with me, Hattori-san?"

Akashi didn't seem the slightest bit offended, but it seemed that he wanted Hattori to think that he was, based on the look he sent him. Kudo held back a smile and prompted her rival – who only responded with a dry look – to answer the younger male's question.

"I don't have any problems with ya." He retorted. "Heck, I don't even know ya enough ta have problems. Which is why – since ya and Kudo are already 'friends' – she should go with ya instead."

"Fair enough." She shrugged, her hand removing itself from the handle of the door and moving to Akashi's side. "We'll let you know if we find anything."

"Got it."

* * *

The clock showed half an hour past nine, however, the lights in the halls were dimmed enough to make it hard to see. Kudo decided it was for energy conservation, as the ballroom was lit brightly at the moment. They continued down the hall until they arrived outside again, the cool night breeze greeting them the moment they stepped out.

"We should check the lower areas – the engine room and such." Kudo suggested. "The killer would have killed Mochizuki-san in a secluded area as to not be found."

"Most of the areas on this ship would be secluded during the possible time of death." Akashi said, dictating what he had remembered from a conversation with one of the crews. "The guests are all in the ballroom while the crew are only in their necessary stations."

"Even the movie theater and lounge?"

"Yes. I presume they would be quite secluded during the time."

Kudo rubbed the back of her neck and sighed.

"This would take longer than I thought…"

They had stopped walking by the railing at the forecastle and was accompanied by the sound of waves gently brushing against the ship. The atmosphere was calm and peaceful, unlike the situation they were in. Kudo wondered why someone would choose such a tranquil stage for such a brutal murder. Then again, she wondered why anyone would commit murder at all.

"I have a question, Kudo-san."

She removed her eyes from the dark waters and towards the redhead beside her. She could barely see him under the dim lighting of the ship and the moonlight, but she could make out the curiousity in his mismatched eyes that looked directly into hers. Perhaps it was because she was wearing flats instead of heels like during Ishikawa's party, he seemed taller than she remembered.

"If the killer decapitated Mochizuki-san in a secluded place, and that place is assumed to have large amounts of blood in it, wouldn't that mean the killer's clothing would have blood on it?"

She nodded, wondering where he was going with the question.

"Then, in the short time between 8-9pm, how did the killer kill Mochizuki-san, move his body to the observation deck, and change out of their bloody clothes?"

Kudo's eyes widened, acknowledging the point he made. She mentally reprimanded herself for missing such an important detail then proceeded to think of an explanation for the question asked. Mochizuki disappeared at 8pm and was found at 9pm. Indeed, it was humanly impossible to subdue, decapacitate and transfer Mochizuki, change into clean clothes then return to the party within an hour. As it is, decapacitating and transferring a body took time and effort, with the addition of having to ensure that one would remain unseen during the whole process.

"We'll have to wait for Hattori to tell us about the suspects' alibis." She stated. "Perhaps, there are among them who were absent from the party hall from 8-9pm, or maybe longer than that."

"Longer than that?"

"We noticed Mochizuki-san's disappearance at 8pm. The last time we noted his presence was at 7:40pm." Kudo waited for a nod from Akashi before continuing with her words, although she sensed he knew where she was going with it. "This means, at most, an additional 20 minutes can be added to the estimated time of death."

"I see," he nodded again. "That would allow more time for the killer."

"Exactly." She sighed. "Anyway, let's find the crime scene first. We can start building up a theory then."

* * *

After they searched the top floors, they headed down towards the bottom floor and decided to search the engine room first. Once they stepped down the steps towards the engine room, Kudo's nose scrunched again as the distinct smell of blood entered her nostrils. She wondered if it was a good thing that her nose had become keen enough to distinguish the smell of blood from the various other smells in the engine room; a so-called occupational hazard. Noting the presence of only one crew member in the engineers' workshop, Kudo went down the second flight of steps – which only had 4 steps – and followed her nose to a secluded area by the main turbo alternator, Akashi trailing behind her.

The large pools of blood as well as the spatter of red that decorated the machinery walls was proof enough that the secluded area was the scene of the crime. The smell of blood was extremely pungent with the mix of metal that even Kudo had to hold back the urge to gag. Akashi, on the other hand, seemed paler than she remembered he was. She assumed the last bit of composure he tried to maintain upon the discovery of the body had run out as he seemed like he could throw up at any moment. It wasn't surprising; he wasn't used to such sights as she was.

"I—," he paused, trying to breathe amongst the rancid smell of blood that drifted in the air. "I'm going to get some air."

Kudo responded with a nod as he climbed up the stairs then proceeded to examine the scene. She hoped to find any evidence to who the killer was, but blood was the only thing she could see. It wasn't until she switched on the torchlight on her phone for better view that she caught a gleam from the small space between the machinery. She bent closer to inspect and narrowed her eyes when she realised it was the missing Rolex. The discovery of the Rolex debunked her initial theory that it was taken by the killer after the struggle, also giving rise to another theory that murder was the only motive.

She snapped a picture of the Rolex – avoiding touching it to not defile the crime scene before the police could investigate – and the bloody crime scene on her phone and set a mental reminder to tell the police about it. After a final inspection, Kudo left the engine room to join Akashi in the hallway, eager to breathe in the fresh air awaiting her outside the engine room.

* * *

Hattori seemed a tad wearier when he joined them for a discussion by the ship's railings. When asked, he complained about how the suspects wouldn't cooperate with him for most of the questioning. It was only after some persuasion that they agreed to give testimony regarding their alibi.

"So?" Kudo crossed her arms as she kept her gaze on the tanned male. "What did you find out?"

"They all claim they were at tha' party tha' whole time," Hattori shrugged. "Of course, I asked tha' guests ta see if anyone of 'em can corroborate their alibi. Only tha' wife, Kanae-san, an' tha' son, Satoru-san, have solid alibis since they were together tha' whole time entertaining guests. No one remembered if they saw tha' other three. Well, I told 'em ta stay together in tha' lounge until I came back for tha' time being. Ya can see 'em from here."

The brunette responded with a thoughtful hum, registering the information that was given to her as she glanced at the suspects who were visible from the lounge's glass windows. That left only Sakaguchi, Nishiyama and Yoshida as viable suspects. Unless they found more evidence, it would be hard to determine who among the three was the killer they were searching for.

"What 'bout ya guys?" Hattori queried. "Did ya find where Mochizuki-san was killed?"

"Yes, it was by the main turbo alternator, in the shadows." Akashi chose to answer, his face still a little pale. "There was blood everywhere so there is no mistake."

"Also, Mochizuki-san's Rolex was there." The female added, displaying the pictures she took of the scene on her phone before offering it to Hattori. "It must have fell off his arm when he was struggling with the killer."

"Tha' killer didn't take it with 'im?"

"I'm assuming he didn't notice. He must've been engrossed with trying to move Mochizuki-san's body to the outdoor observation deck."

"Well, at least now we know how tha' killer did it."

"Already?" Akashi's eyes widened in mild surprise.

"Yeah," Hattori nodded. "It's really simple, ya know, considering the crime scene."

"It might take just a little over an hour but it's definitely possible." Kudo confirmed. "The problem is who…"

A cool breeze blew past them during their deliberation and Kudo felt her body shiver, Hattori sneezing just around the same time. Kudo regretted her decision to wear her mother's flared dress. Not only did it lack sleeves and only reached her knees, the georgette material hardly did anything to keep her warm. The ballroom wasn't as cold as the outside air, so she managed to endure the chills. However, the late-night ocean breeze was more than she could bare.

Just as she was about to suggest heading inside where it was warmer to continue their discussion, there was an added weight on her shoulders and in an instant, she felt warmer. By reflex, her hand raised to her shoulder to touch the jacket that had been placed over her before she directed a puzzled gaze towards the younger male who stood closely beside her.

"It's chilly outside." Akashi stated. "We should head inside before you catch a cold… like Hattori-san."

Hattori gave a pointed look at Akashi who added the jab after a brief pause. However, he said nothing and merely agreed to the redhead's suggestion.

As Kudo properly put on the coat she was offered, Akashi had walked off first towards the entrance that lead to the lounge where the suspects were. Just as she was about to follow him, Hattori slid an arm over her shoulders and leaned over closely to whisper in her ear.

"Hey, Kudo. Ya're really something arencha?" He teased with a sly grin. "It's not only tha' bro from the detective agency, ya also got that rich bro crushin' on ya."

"Huh?" She responded with a dry look. "What are you talking about, Hattori?"

"He's been watching ya since tha' time we met in tha' party. Also, he noticed that ya were cold an' gave ya his coat."

"It's called being a gentleman, idiot." She scoffed. "Anyway, let's head inside. It's cold."

Hattori cheekily chuckled and removed his arm from her shoulders. They then went inside to join Akashi before he wondered why they were taking their time.

* * *

Their entrance was greeted with cold stares from the five suspects who were kept away from the ballroom. Kanae and Satoru were seated together on the same couch while Nishiyama stood closely by them. Yoshida sat opposite the mother and son, Sakaguchi right beside him. On the table, there were four glasses of water and a plate of half-eaten fruits.

"Everyone, sorry for tha' wait." Hattori announced as the doors closed behind them. "I've said this just now, but we'd like ta conduct a body search on ya. There's a chance one of ya still has some kind of evidence on ya."

"Hold on a moment!" It was Kanae who spoke up. "I told you that Satoru and I have alibis, didn't I? Why do we have to go through the body search as well?"

"Besides, why aren't you questioning the other guests at the party?" Nishiyama joined in politely. "I'm sure there must be someone else who is capable of committing the crime other than us."

"Unfortunately, that's not tha' case." Hattori smirked. "I was able ta question the other guests before gathering ya'll an' they all have an alibi since they were with a companion at all times."

There was momentary whispering from the five in the room before Sakaguchi stood up and offered the teenagers a smile. It was a kind, welcoming smile. A contrast to the cold glare he gave when they walked in.

"Alright, we'll undergo the body search. We have nothing to hide after all."

"Then," Kudo gestured towards the two women in the room. "Kanae-san and Nishiyama-san, please come with me."

* * *

Kudo was finished with the body search of the two women and returned to the lounge. When she entered the lounge, only the two women, Satoru, Sakaguchi and Akashi were there. When she asked about the whereabouts of Hattori and Yoshida, Akashi informed her that they were still not finished and that nothing turned up from Satoru and Sakaguchi's body search.

She sighed. She had expected to end up empty-handed from the body search, but she had also hoped that the killer would slip and leave a piece of evidence on their body. If this went on, they wouldn't be able to identify the killer before the cruise came to an end. If that happened, the killer would definitely be able to dispose of any evidence that they had yet to discover.

"Since you found nothing on us, do you mind letting us go?" Kanae frowned. "I have guests I have to attend to."

Kudo couldn't help but raise a curious eyebrow.

"You're quite calm despite losing your husband."

"Of course, I have to stay calm!" She snapped. "If I don't do so, the company will suffer because of that. Besides, I'm not going to mourn a man who betrayed me."

"Are you referring to the affair?" The detective carefully asked.

"Of course, I am. What else do you think I'm referring to?"

"If I recall correctly, the affair was with Sakaguchi-san's wife, am I correct?"

It seemed that even Akashi couldn't hold back his interest as he joined in the conversation. He had held back from speaking the entire time – perhaps to honour the business relations the family had with his – but that didn't last long enough. Surprise mildly crossed Kanae's face before she chose to respond to his words.

"That's right," she huffed. "Mitsuru-san was surprised too when he found out, no?"

Sakaguchi cleared his throat and loosened his tie, his free hand a little tense as it fiddled with the watch that peeked from under his sleeve. He took his time to choose his words before setting his gaze upon the female detective after a brief glance towards Kanae.

"Yes," he confirmed. "I never thought that my best friend would betray me like that. We always had so much fun golfing together…"

"Golfing?" Kudo repeated without thought. Perhaps it was because the statement seemed out of place to her that she couldn't help herself.

"Yes," Sakaguchi titled his head to one side before reaching out to pull out his phone. "We always do so in our free time. See?"

He showed her a picture of him and Mochizuki. They wore polo shirts and were holding golf clubs in their left hands while their right hands were raised up to form a peace-sign. The two were grinning in the picture, displaying obvious happiness. It was obvious that it was before Sakaguchi knew about Mochizuki's affair with his own wife.

Kudo's eyes narrowed at the picture when she noticed that both men had Rolex watches on their wrists. Not only were they the same brand, but the colour and design were also identical. The similarity of the watches now raised suspicion within Kudo's brain and she asked the present four about it.

"Ah, I also have the same watch. Although, I'm not wearing it now." Satoru uttered. "Father gave it to all of us here on the company's 5th anniversary to celebrate."

"Were they all exactly the same?"

"Yes." The male nodded. "They're all exactly the same. Although, they're customised to have the names of the owner carved on the back."

It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck her. She recalled the untouched Rolex in the engine room and wondered whose name was carved on the metal surface of the accessory. The Rolex was the evidence she needed to find out the killer and she couldn't help but feel thrilled at this discovery.

"Anyway!" Kanae huffed again as she stomped towards the lounge's entrance. "I'm returning to the party. Satoru, Nishiyama, you too."

"Then, I'll stop by the washroom before I return to the party as well, if you don't mind." Sakaguchi uttered, standing up from the couch along with Satoru and Nishiyama. "If you'll excuse us."

Ignoring the requests to remain in the lounge, the four suspects left the area and disappeared into the hallway. Kudo frowned at this before she breathed out a sigh of defeat. They weren't the police, so they had no authority in holding them in the lounge. It was a miracle that they managed to convince the five suspects to listen to them so far. She wondered what Hattori told them for persuasion.

"What do you plan to do now, Kudo-san?"

Kudo turned to face Akashi who stepped closer towards her. It was then she was reminded that she still had his jacket over her, thus the comfortable warmth she had been enjoying since she entered the lounge. She wondered if she should return it to him, but decided to keep it on a little while longer.

"Well, Hattori's still not done with Yoshida-san's body search. We have to wait for him, but…"

"But?"

Kudo licked her lips before offering a smirk towards Akashi, a peculiar glint reflected in her cobalt eyes. She could feel her heart beat a little faster as she thought of her next course of action and she could feel the rush of blood through her veins. She was close to the goal and she couldn't wait to get there.

"I've something to check out in the engine room." She said. "Stay here until Hattori gets back and tell him to go there!"

She didn't give him a chance to reply as she quickly rushed off after a dismissive wave. She heard him call her name, but she knew he didn't give a chase. She appreciated that and hoped that he would join her in the engine room with Hattori soon, just so they could put an end to the mystery at hand.

Kudo stepped down the short flight of steps that led her towards the engine room, her footsteps echoing throughout the large space. She noticed the absence of the crew member in the engineer's workshop as she swiftly headed towards the second short flight of steps, wondering where he had gone to. She returned to the secluded area by the main turbo alternator and bent down to pick up the Rolex from the hidden space between the machinery with a handkerchief, the torchlight from her phone lighting up the area.

Keeping in mind the words Satoru had told her, Kudo flipped the Rolex around to view the back, where the carved name was said to be. Upon seeing the carved roman characters on the metal surface of the watch, Kudo's signature smirk spread across her features and she announced to herself in the privacy of her mind that the case was solved, that the who was finally revealed.

Immediately, she opened the contact list on her phone and scrolled down to Hattori's contact. She couldn't wait to tell her friend that she had found unshakable evidence to who the killer was. She couldn't wait for them to dramatically reveal the killer in front of the hundred guests that were gathered in the ballroom.

However, due to her excitement, Kudo failed to notice the shadow behind her that ominously raised a blunt object into the air, before vigorously swinging it down towards her.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading !_


	5. Corpse on a Cruise - Part2

_Disclaimer: everything belongs to their rightful owners._

 _(lol i forgot to upload this here)_

* * *

There was an uneasiness at the pit of his stomach that made Akashi consider if it was a bad omen. The uneasiness emerged when Kudo failed to return for a while after she ran off and Hattori returned with Yoshida just a few minutes after that. The tanned male was bewildered at the absence of the other suspects and only clicked his tongue when Akashi explained their absence.

"Where's Kudo?"

"She is in the engine room. She said to go meet her there."

The feeling intensified as they walked towards the engine room after seeing Yoshida off to the ballroom. He wondered if it indicated that something had happened to Kudo, or if it was just his senses playing tricks on him. On most occasions, he could trust his instincts. They were hardly ever wrong. Which unsettled him more.

Briefly, the uneasiness disappeared when he saw the lighted up area by the main turbo alternator – the crime scene. It meant that she was still investigating the area. It meant that the feeling in his stomach was just that; a feeling. Nothing more. However, it arose once again just as they stepped down the steps towards the main turbo alternator and this time more intense than before. It puzzled him.

He finally understood the indications of his feelings when Hattori shone his phone's torchlight at the crime scene, only to find a phone on the floor. The two teens shared a look and Hattori quickly picked up the device from the floor, examining it right away. The torchlight of the phone was left on and when Hattori pressed the button on the centre-bottom of the phone, his name and phone number appeared on the bright screen.

"There's no mistake; it's Kudo's." He uttered, his eyebrows furrowing as he did. "Judging by the fact she attempted ta call me but didn't, I bet she didn't just… drop it."

It was apparent that he was worried; from the creases on his forehead and the strong grip he had on his friend's phone. Perhaps it was the shadow caused by the light from both phones and their torchlights; the expression on his face seemed unnerving.

Akashi wondered if his face mimicked the older male. He could feel the uneasiness well up to his chest and he felt like throwing up. There were numerous scenarios that ran through his complicated mind and he hoped that none of them were true. Although they weren't on close terms with each other, the thought of something bad occurring to her was dreadful. And he was sure Hattori shared the same emotions, perhaps a little more stronger than him.

His eyes unconsciously trailed over to the hidden area where the pictures Kudo took indicated Mochizuki's Rolex was. He wasn't sure why his eyes started to search for the Rolex, but they did, and they narrowed when they couldn't find the glint from the object that they were searching for.

He was reminded of the conversation Kudo and Satoru had in the lounge; about how all of the five suspects received the same Rolex and about how each watch had the name of the respective receiver carved behind it. His heart pumped a tad faster as the cells in his brain connected the information he had to build up a theory. A theory that only strengthened the uneasiness that had made it up to his throat.

"Tha' Rolex…"

Hattori seemed to notice the absence of the watch too.

Akashi was snapped out of his thoughts at his voice and almost immediately, he relayed the information obtained from the time in the lounge. Hattori's eyes seemed to light up under the shadows as he came to the same conclusion as him, horror now making it across his face.

"That means Kudo's in danger or..." Hattori gritted his teeth and didn't continue.

"We could search the whole ship for her," Akashi suggested sternly. "However, I feel that it would be more effective to find the killer immediately and demand them to tell us where Kudo-san is."

Hattori clicked his tongue and ruffled his bangs in frustration.

"Ya got a point." He scowled. "I wanna see tha' picture of Mochizuki-san and Sakaguchi-san. Let's get back ta tha' ballroom and see Sakaguchi-san."

* * *

Sakaguchi clearly noticed the absence of the female detective who had previously questioned them. However, he didn't say a word and gave his phone to Hattori without any fuss. The picture in question was displayed on the screen and Hattori scrutinised the picture, searching for anything else notable and relevant in the picture other than the watches.

Akashi glanced over the other's shoulder to take a look at the picture himself. Hattori had zoomed into the picture and swiped the image from time to time to switch from the zoomed in image of Mochizuki's Rolex to Sakaguchi's. He couldn't help but feel that there was something off about the watches; like although the watches were identical, there was something _not_ identical about them. He couldn't put his finger on it, but his meticulous eyes were certain that there was something.

It wasn't until the 5th swipe that it struck him, and his eyes darted towards the watch on Sakaguchi's wrist. It was hidden under his sleeve, blocking his view. He involuntarily clicked his tongue. He recalled Yoshida and Nishiyama wearing their Rolexes that night too. He wondered if he could get a view of theirs as well.

If his eyes served him well – and he knew they did – what he noticed from the friendly picture would determine who the killer was.

"Hattori-san, do you have a moment?"

He brought the tanned detective towards a wall – excusing themselves from Sakaguchi – and informed him of the detail he noticed. Hattori understood the indications of the information he was told and held his chin in thought. It took him a moment before he nodded and announced that he would gather the suspects back into the lounge.

"It's time ta get tha' bastard an' find where Kudo is."

* * *

"I'm getting sick of you kids pulling me away from my guests."

Kanae was seething. Her foot was tapping impatiently on the carpeted floor and her arms were crossed firmly across her chest. Although she had a prominent frown on her face, she remained the beautiful host who had just lost her husband. Beside her was Satoru who placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. Nishiyama, on the other hand, seemed concerned while Yoshida and Sakaguchi merely exchanged glances.

"Sorry, lady," Hattori smiled confidently. "But we thought ya would like ta know who killed yer husband."

"You know who killed father?"

Satoru stared at them wide-eyed in surprise, the other four mirroring his expression. Akashi studied the five, searching for any indications of guilt or fear. He couldn't find any. Was it because the killer was confident they wouldn't be caught?

"Yeah." Hattori nodded. "But before that, wouldja mind liftin' yer sleeves for us, Nishiyama-san, Yoshida-san, Sakaguchi-san?"

The three shared a puzzled look on their faces and Hattori had to repeat his request before they hesitantly folded up their sleeves. They folded it on both arms up until their elbows, allowing a clear view of the watches, the main object of focus for the two teens in the room.

Silence took over the room as the two teens observed the watches. They were careful to not hint the three of what they were looking at and when they found what they were looking for, Hattori couldn't help but let a smirk curl upon his lips. Akashi noticed the look on his features and took a step back to give him full command of the stage. He was curious of the abilities of the male, of whether he was as good as Kudo in the same playing field.

"Well?" Kanae asked, mockery coating her words. "Did you find anything?"

"As a matter of fact, yeah." Hattori's smirk widened as he raised a finger towards the group. "Tha' one who killed Mochizuki Takuya-san is ya, Sakaguchi-san."

As the gazes of the other four shot towards him, Sakaguchi widened his eyes in disbelief and bit his lip. His body started to tremble, and his face started to sweat. However, he immediately regained his composure and defensively questioned Hattori's allegation.

"That's ridiculous." He scoffed. "I don't see how I could've killed Mochizuki when I was at the ballroom the whole time."

"No one could corroborate yer claim so ya definitely could've killed Mochizuki-san."

"Wait, how would Sakaguchi-san kill father?" Satoru questioned. "Wasn't he found decapitated on the deck? Sakaguchi-san would've been covered in blood if he did."

"That's right!" Sakaguchi crossed his arms as he huffed. "I couldn't have done it."

"No, it's totally possible for him ta kill Mochizuki-san an' return to tha' ballroom without any blood on his clothes."

Akashi watched as concerned murmurs took over the room at Hattori's statement. Although he too knew the killer, he didn't know how exactly the killing was executed. So, letting himself feel just a little excitement, Akashi waited for Hattori to continue with his deduction.

"First, ya killed Mochizuki-san in tha' engine room an' decapitated him. Then, ya put Mochizuki-san's body an' head on a cargo trolley that ya prepared beforehand an' brought it up to tha' deck, taking care not ta let anyone see ya. Once ya got ta tha' deck, ya dumped Mochizuki-san's body there an' changed inta clothes that ya hid there beforehand. As proof, there's sticky remnants near tha' body from probably tape that ya used to conceal yer change of clothes."

Hattori paused for a moment, gauging Sakaguchi's expression, before he continued.

"After changing, ya threw yer bloody clothes an' Mochizuki-san's head overboard then ran back ta tha' ballroom, acting as if nothing happened. Since tha' deck where Mochizuki-san was found is directly above tha' engine room, ya definitely could commit tha' whole thing in just around an hour or so."

"Bullshit! Anyone could've done that." Sakaguchi spat. "Where's your proof that _I_ did it!?"

"I got plenty of proof that ya did it, Sakaguchi-san. Yer shoes, for one, should still have traced of blood on it." Hattori's grin grew when Sakaguchi's breath hitched in realisation. "Ya probably planned to change yer shoes and dispose of 'em into tha' see once ya returned ta yer room but because we discovered tha' body early, ya didn't have tha' chance."

"T- That's—"

"Also, tha' Rolex that ya're wearing." Hattori took a few steps closer to the man and pointed at his watch. "That's Mochizuki-san's Rolex, ain't it?"

Sakaguchi's hand instantly covered the Rolex by reflex and he took a step back, clearly shaken at the revelation that unveiled itself step by step.

"Yer watches probably fell off when ya two were struggling. Ya probably couldn't find yer watch after killing Mochizuki-san since it was in tha' shadows so ya decided: why not take an' wear Mochizuki-san's instead? They're basically tha' same, right?"

The other four in the room exchanged puzzled glances and it was Nishiyama who took the initiative to ask the question that circled in their minds.

"How do you know it's the Chairman's watch?"

"Ahh, it's because…"

Hattori's voice trailed off as he turned to face Akashi. The redhead blinked in question but instantly understood what the older male was indicating him to do.

"The diamond." Akashi continued for Hattori. The puzzlement on the suspects' faces only grew after hearing his words and Akashi proceeded to elaborate. "Based on the picture Sakaguchi-san showed of him and Mochizuki-san at the golf course, Mochizuki-san's watch has a small diamond piece at the centre of the watch which holds the hands, unlike the other watches. The watch Sakaguchi-san's currently wearing has that diamond piece, a piece that his watch isn't supposed to have."

"N-No. The watch Mochizuki gave me also has a diamond piece…!"

"If ya still plan on claiming that it's yer watch, I'm sure ya wouldn't mind showing us tha' name carved behind it."

It seemed that the watch was the final blow. Sakaguchi dropped to his knees and cursed as he landed a fist on the carpeted floor. His face seemed like he wanted to cry, however he didn't, merely gritting his teeth as he remained curled on his knees.

"Mitsuru-san, don't tell me you killed Takuya-san because of his affair with your wife…?" Kanae hesitantly asked, choosing not to conceal her shock.

"Huh, the affair with Sachie was merely the last straw." He scoffed as he straightened his posture, remorse hardly reflected on his features. "That bastard, he kept on asking money from me, saying that it's for 'investments' and shit when he uses it to satisfy his gambling habits. I was an idiot for believing him but even when I refused, he threatened me to give me the money or he would expose all the shit I did in the past. I was young but not young enough to escape punishment. Because of him, I had to mortgage the house and because of our declining financial situation, Sachie had an affair with him. Because of him, my life is ruined!"

"Even so…"

Interrupting Satoru's attempt to speak, Hattori grabbed Sakaguchi roughly by the shirt and yanked him up to his feet. The triumph that was etched on his features seconds ago had disappeared and was now replaced with anger. The stunned Sakaguchi could only stare at the younger male as he brought his tanned face closer to his.

"I'm not gonna say anything about why ya decided ta kill Mochizuki-san as that's for tha' cops." He growled. "But, ya better tell us where Kudo is right now, or I'll—"

"Hattori-san."

Akashi placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head in disapproval. To this, Hattori merely offered a glance before he clicked his tongue and loosened his grip on the older man. The initially stunned Sakaguchi seemed to understand what had Hattori riled up and stuttered an answer with a cough.

"If— If you're talking about that girl," Sakaguchi coughed once again. "She's in the large freezer in the kitchen. I put her in there when the kitchen staff left to take a break."

"Ya bastard—"

"The kitchen is on the floor below us, am I right?"

Nishiyama nodded shakenly at Akashi's question and instantly, the two boys rushed towards the kitchen below them, not before making sure Sakaguchi couldn't run. As they ran down the stairs, Akashi peeked at his wristwatch and felt his heart race just a little faster when he realised more than an hour had passed since he last saw Kudo. Considering the temperature of the freezer and the clothes she was wearing, the redhead could only hope that hypothermia hadn't already set it and caused its dire effects.

Hattori slammed the kitchen doors opened and immediately stormed towards what he assumed was the freezer, Akashi who trailing behind. As Hattori requested – rather, demanded – the kitchen staff to open the freezer for him, Akashi was left in the position to explain their presence to the idling kitchen staff who were fortunately understanding.

"A person's in the freezer…?" One of the surprised staffs questioned as the freezer door opened in the corner of their eyes.

"Yes." Akashi confirmed. "Once again, I apologise for suddenly barging in."

Akashi spoke calmly despite the thoughts that raced in his mind. Perhaps it was the knowledge that they had already arrived to where Kudo supposedly was that eased his nerves and allowed him to speak as usual. He kept glancing at the freezer Hattori rushed in, however, hoping that there wouldn't be an addition to the death on the ship.

"Oh," a female staff brought a hand to her chin. "Speaking of a person in the freezer…"

"She's not in here!" Hattori was seething when he came out of the freezer, a hint of panic in his eyes. Akashi wondered why he felt relieved instead. "That bastard must've lied! Damn it—"

"Um," the female staff spoke up again, trying to get the two teen's attention. "By any chance, is the person you're looking for a brown-haired girl?"

* * *

Akashi slid the door of the infirmary carefully as to not disturb anyone who was in the room. He would have let Hattori enter first, but he predicted he would storm into the infirmary just like how he did in the kitchen. So, he had to convince Hattori to let him take the lead.

He expected to be met with the white interior of the infirmary, as well as the gaze of the nurse or doctor in charge. Thus, he was taken aback when he was met with a mop of chestnut that crashed into his chest before he could step into the room.

"Kudo-san?"

By reflex, he caught the stumbling female by the elbow before she could make contact with the floor. Kudo seemed stunned for a brief moment but regained her composure as she steadied herself.

"Oh, you guys are done with the case?"

"Yes." He nodded.

She seemed a little disappointed, perhaps because she didn't get to stand in the spotlight this time. However, Akashi was more concerned with the paleness of her complexion as well as how she seemed to struggle with just standing up. The jacket he gave her was nowhere to be seen and he could see how her bare shoulders trembled as he held her by the elbow. Behind her was the infirmary doctor, her hands on her hips as she sighed with displeasure.

"See, I told you the case would be solved. Now, would you please return to bed and warm up?"

With a reluctant sigh, Kudo turned to obey the doctor's orders. Although she requested him to let her walk herself, Akashi insisted on helping her to the bed where the doctor immediately bundled her up in a few layers of blankets and deposited a warm cup of tea into her hands. The look of obvious displeasure on the brunette's face contrasted the satisfied look on the doctor's face so greatly that Akashi was tempted to smile.

"She has a mild concussion with mild hypothermia, but she'll get better once she warms up and rests." The doctor informed the two males with a smile. "Guess it was a good thing the staff thought she lost her earring there and found her before the hypothermia could get worse."

"Thanks, doc." Hattori grinned cheekily at Kudo once the doctor left to sit at her desk. "Ya really got yaself beat this time, huh. Got us worried, ya know."

"He caught me off guard." She shrugged with a dry look. "How'd you solve the case though? I assume Sakaguchi-san took his watch with him."

"Akashi noticed that Mochizuki-san's watch has a diamond unlike tha' other watches so we could prove that tha' watch Sakaguchi-san was wearing wasn't his."

"And he couldn't wear his own watch again because it was stained with blood." Kudo hummed and took another sip of her tea before sending an amused glance at Akashi. "Watson's getting good at this."

Akashi would have scoffed but he stopped himself and merely offered a smile.

* * *

A month had passed since Sakaguchi's arrest and the early end of the cruise at Nagoya port. The three teenagers stayed a day in Nagoya to give their statements about the case to the police before returning to their respective homes. It was a rather mundane ending, if Akashi had to say, but he supposed life had to have its fair share of mundaneness to balance its insanity.

He found himself back into his own daily mundane mixed insanity on the court. He watched by the bench as his team ran back and forth across the court, the squeaking of basketball shoes and the thumping of the ball accompanying their movements. Occasionally, an appalled Mibuchi Reo would yell a scolding to the underclassmen who either slacked or made a mistake. However, other than that, it was a relatively silent practice session.

He hadn't seen Kudo since the cruise case, though they did exchange occasional texts. Per usual, she'd find herself involved in a case or two and she'd marvelously solve them. There was a part of Akashi that felt a need to see her during her deduction shows once again. The thrill he would feel from the cases was addictive, and he wanted more. Although, he knew that would mean hoping for another dead body to drop by.

"Take a 10-minute break."

Relieved sighs collectively escaped the basketball team members as they all headed towards the benches and slumped on the floor, grabbing at their drinks. At this, Mibuchi rolled his eyes with a sigh that turned into a smile as he turned towards the redhead beside him.

"Sei-chan," he chirped with the affectionate nickname. "Should us regulars join next? The inter-high preliminaries are getting close as it is."

"Of course." Akashi nodded. "Gather the other three. We'll start immediately."

As he watched the older male saunter off to find their teammates, Akashi found himself fiddling with his cellphone – something unlike of him. His fingers tapped across the screen as they selected a name and typed out characters in the designated white space. He questioned what he was doing, whether it was necessary or appropriate. But his fingers continued typing rapidly. Until they stopped to hover over the 'send' button.

He sighed, lips pressed into a firm line as his eyebrows furrowed slightly. Once again, the pros and cons of tapping the icon were weighed and he wondered why he kept overthinking a simple decision.

He sent the text in the end.

Then, he shoved his phone into his bag where it belonged and called the members to resume practice, ignoring the nagging anticipation at the back of his mind.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading !_


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